The third Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit will take place in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on March 4.
In addition to the discussions on disaster management, environment, trade, transport and tourism, the Summit is expected to propose the establishment of a permanent secretariat in Dhaka. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa are also expected to meet on the sidelines of the Summit to discuss the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on Sri Lanka’s war crimes.
The BIMSTEC is a seven-country multilateral body focused on security, regional cooperation and connectivity in the Bay of Bengal region. It provides a link between SAARC and ASEAN, as also between the regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. BIMSTEC emerged from the Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation Group formed in 1997. The first BIMSTEC Summit was held in Bangkok in 2004.