August 30: The Foreign Minister, Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, led the Bhutanese delegation to the 10th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi yesterday, August 29.

The meeting reviewed the progress of activities in the 13 areas of cooperation identified under the BIMSTEC framework pertaining to Trade and Investment, Technology, Energy, Transport and Communication, Tourism, Fisheries, Agriculture, Cultural Cooperation, Environment and Disaster Management, Public Health, People-to-People Contact, Poverty Alleviation and Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes.

In his address, Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering said economic cooperation is fundamental to the purposes and principles of BIMSTEC.

He said it is in our interest to expedite the conclusion of the Agreement on Trade in Goods and conclude the Agreements on Trade in Services and Investments in a timely manner.

Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering also called for greater cooperation to combat terrorism, transnational crimes and drug trafficking, meet the challenges posed by rising fuel and food prices, and address the effects of global warming and environmental degradation.

The ministers reiterated their resolve to conclude the negotiations on trade in goods under BIMSTEC at an early date, preferably before the Second BIMSTEC Summit.

They also welcomed the offer by Bangladesh to establish a BIMSTEC Poverty Alleviation Centre in Dhaka.

The ministers stressed the need to expedite the establishment of a Permanent Secretariat for BIMSTEC in view of the expansion in the scope and substance of cooperation in numerous areas.