As the host of the Bimstec Secretariat, Bangladesh has called upon member states to forge an "effective and result-oriented" regional collaboration among the seven countries.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam made the call on Tuesday at the celebration of the 26 years of the regional grouping that connects South Asia with Southeast Asia.
Bimstec or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation was established on June 6, 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand are the founding members while Myanmar joined a few months later in December. Bhutan and Nepal became members in February 2004.
June 6 is celebrated as Bimstec Day.
"Bangladesh is a staunch supporter of regional cooperation for the welfare of people. Bimstec is a significant regional group. The Bay of Bengal holds tremendous potential for growth, with 22% of the world's population residing in this region. However, our intra-country trade accounts for only 7%," the state minister said.
The issue of the Bimstec Free Trade Agreement is still pending. The state minister expressed the desire for Bimstec to become the most effective and result-oriented organization, working collectively for the benefit of the people. He called upon the Bimstec Secretariat to take a leading role in coordination.
Bimstec Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell hoped that the leaders of the member states would "revisit and re-examine the working methods" of the association in the upcoming summit to be held in November in Thailand for achieving better results.
"This region has tremendous potential, but the journey is not always smooth. The pandemic, global challenges, climate change, and other environmental issues demand the concerted efforts of member countries," he said.
To mark the occasion, the state minister cut a cake in the presence of ambassadors, high commissioners of member states and the Bimstec secretary general.