23 Aug 2022 - 24 Aug 2022

The Secretary General of BIMSTEC H.E. Tenzin Lekphell paid an official introductory visit to India from 23-24 August 2022 at the invitation of the Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs of India Shri Saurabh Kumar.

The Secretary General held official discussions with Secretary Shri Saurabh Kumar on 23 August, during which Shri Saurabh Kumar reiterated India’s commitment to strengthening BIMSTEC. As India leads the coordination of BIMSTEC cooperation on Security including Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), Disaster Management, and Energy, the Secretary General had meetings with the Deputy National Security Adviser of India Shri Vikram Misri, Secretary to the Ministry of Power Shri Alok Kumar and Member-Secretary to the National Disaster Management Authority Shri Kamal Kishore during which BIMSTEC sectoral cooperation in these respective areas was discussed.

On 24 August, the Secretary General called on the Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. Recalling the pledge made by the Prime Minister of India, H.E. Shri Narendra Modi, during the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held in Colombo on 30 March 2022, the Minister of State handed over a cheque for USD 1 million to the Secretary General towards the operational budget of the BIMSTEC Secretariat. This invaluable contribution by the Government of India is to be utilised to complete key institution building tasks collectively identified by the BIMSTEC Member States.

The Secretary General also participated in a public interactive session on "Rejuvenating Growth through Partnership: Role of BIMSTEC” organized by the Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS). The Ambassadors of Bhutan, Myanmar, and Thailand resident in New Delhi as well as senior diplomats of BIMSTEC country diplomatic missions in New Delhi participated in this programme.

The Secretary General’s remarks at the event