The newly appointed Secretary General of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, today called on H.E. Ahasanul Islam (Titu), MP, Honourable State Minister for Commerce of Bangladesh.

Secretary General congratulated H.E. Ahasanul Islam on his appointment as the State Minister for Commerce of Bangladesh and apprised him of the progress being made in fostering regional cooperation within the BIMSTEC framework, especially in Trade, Investment and Development Sector, which is led by Bangladesh.  He thanked the Ministry of Commerce for its support in leading cooperation in the vital domains of trade and investment.

They underlined the importance of making swift progress in the negotiations under the Framework Agreement on BIMSTEC Free Trade Area Agreement, which will contribute to more trade and investment within the region and help in realisation of sustainable development in BIMSTEC member States. They stressed on the importance of forging cooperation in digital commerce and promotion of MSMEs.

BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It pursues regional cooperation in the following seven sectors: Agriculture and Food Security; Connectivity; Environment and Climate Change; People to People Contact; Science, Technology and Innovation; Security; and Trade, Investment and Development.