Narinjara news

Source: Bss, Dhaka


BIMSTEC FOR ENHANCED COOPERATION

Dhaka, 25 December 2001:Five countries of South and Southeast Asia grouped in BIMSTEC stressed the need for redoubling efforts to enhance economic, commercial and technical cooperation to offset the impact of global recession.
On return from the fourth ministerial- level meeting of the forum in Myanmar's capital Yangon, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Reza Rahman told this news agency that the members countries called for stepping up cooperation both at the government and private sector levels.
The grouping of BIMST-EC stands for Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand for Economic cooperation. The meeting, he said, affirmed to take optimum advantage at the sub-regional level to enhance capacity building to overcome the adverse effect of further globalisation. The decision was taken in the context the impact of global economic slowdown being felt in very corner of the world, including the BIMST-EC countries.
The members countries, he said, entrusted the working group in Bangkok to shortlist projects and explore possibilities for potential external funding and place its recommendations at the next senior officials' meeting for implementation of BIMST-EC projects.
The meeting recommended relaxation of visa facilities among member countries, decided to study closely the lessons on how to meet the challenges and opportunities of globalisation and establish linkages between think-tanks in member countries to focus on long-term projects fore common benefit.#