Mizzima: Burma to host next BIMSTEC

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Burma to host next BIMST-EC ministerial meeting

New Delhi, July 6, 2000
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

Burma has offered to host the Fourth BIMST-EC Ministerial Meeting in
Rangoon in February next year and the member countries welcome the offer
during the third BIMST-EC ministerial meeting which was held today in
New Delhi. Bangladesh minister of state for foreign affairs Mr. Abul
Hasan Chowdhury, Sri Lanka deputy foreign minister Mr. Lakshman
Kiriella, Thailand deputy foreign minister Mr. Sukhumbhand Paribartra,
India's minister of state for foreign affairs Mr. Ajit Kumar Panja and
Burmese ambassador to India Mr. Tin Latt and their respective
delegations participated at the Third BIMST-EC Ministerial Meeting while
Nepal attended as an observer.

BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Thailand
Economic Cooperation) was formally formed in May 1997 for the Bay of
Bengal Rim countries.

The delegates said that it is the right time to provide momentum to
BIMST-EC by enhancing economic, commercial and technical cooperation
among the member countries, both at the government and private sector
levels. Moreover, the members have agreed to cooperate in sharing
information, data, technology and expertise to increase cooperation in
the energy sector.

Moreover, they welcome the idea of establishment of a Free Trade Area
(FTA) in the region and setting up a joint BIMST-EC Chamber of Commerce
in future.

The five-member countries of BIMST-EC has already announced the year
2001 as "Visit BIMST-EC Tourism Year".

While inaugurating the meeting today, Indian foreign minister Mr.
Jaswant Singh spoke of the age-old ties among the countries of BIMST-EC,
and of the promise that cooperation holds for the improvement of the
lives of the people in the region. He emphasized that BIMST-EC must work
to move from promise to the delivery of real economic benefits to the
people of the region.