KATHMANDU: Bhutan’s Chief Justice and Chief Advisor to the Interim Government Dasho Tshering Wangchuk has arrived in Kathmandu today to attend the fourth summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) being held here on August 30 and 31.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwor Pokhrel received the Bhutanese grandee who landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport at 8:15 am, according to Deepak Adhikari, chief of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is also scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu today at 2:00 pm. President of Myanmar Win Myint landed yesterday.

All the dignitaries — including heads of states and governments, ministers and other participants — will be residing at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza, also the venue for the summit and pre-summit meetings. Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza has also been finalised as the venue for the retreat on August 31.

BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting held yesterday, attended by secretaries at the ministries of foreign/external affairs discussed trade and investment; transport and communications; technology; counter-terrorism and transnational crime; agriculture, poverty alleviation and public health. BIMSTEC general secretary Shahidul Haque insisted on the need of promotion of trade, investment, tourism, electricity transmission line and the establishment of bilateral relations to transform the organisation into an effective and efficient body.

Meanwhile, the 16th ministerial meeting of the BIMSTEC going to commence this morning will see the presentation of reports by the Secretary General of BIMSTEC and reports of the Special and 19th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM).

Nepal serves as the current chair of the sub-regional body of seven countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal which was formed in June 1997 and is hosting the fourth Summit on August 30 and 31.