A delegation from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretariat led by Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell undertook a two-day working visit to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 10 and 11 April 2023.

The visiting delegation was received by the Secretary General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, and had briefing sessions with officials from the ASEAN Economic Community Department, ASEAN Political-Security Community Department, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department, the ASEAN Community & Corporate Affairs Department, and the ASEAN Connectivity Division. Other interactions during the visit included meetings with the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community, Satvinder  Singh; and the Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation Dr. Piti Srisangnam.

The visit which was supported and facilitated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was undertaken to learn about ASEAN’s mechanisms and best practices and explore potential future collaboration between BIMSTEC and ASEAN.