The First Meeting of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection Coordination Committee (1^st BGICC) was held virtually in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on 30 June 2021. Delegations from all BIMSTEC Member States including the Designated National Representatives to constitute the BGICC attended the Meeting.

The Meeting was inaugurated by His Excellency Mr. Than Zaw, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy of Myanmar. His Excellency Mr. Tenzin Lekphell, Secretary General of BIMSTEC delivered the Special Remarks at the opening session. The Meeting thanked Myanmar, the Lead Country of BIMSTEC Energy Cooperation, for taking an initiative to host the 1^st BGICC.

At the Meeting, the Members of BGICC discussed their functions and mandate as mentioned in the MOU for Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection and TOR of the BGICC. The BGICC Members are mandated to coordinate implementation of grid interconnections and trade in electricity. The BGICC Members also shared their view on the “Way Forward of the BGICC” and deliberated on how to undertake the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection Master Plan Study (BGIMPS) among others.

The Meeting also touched on the importance of formulating a BIMSTEC Policy for Transmission of Electricity and a BIMSTEC Policy for Trade, Exchange of Electricity and Tariff Mechanism in accordance with the TOR of the BGICC.

In his Special Remarks, the Secretary General of BIMSTEC highlighted the importance of holding meetings of BIMSTEC Sectoral Cooperation regularly and expressed his conviction to have renewed commitment from the Member States on the holding of the Third BIMSTEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting (3^rd BEMM) and the Fifth Senior Officials’ Meeting on Energy (5^th SOM-E) respectively in due course.