The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) celebrated its 25th Anniversary on 6 June 2022. The BIMSTEC Secretariat office in Dhaka, Bangladesh, hosted the celebration attended by officials including Mr. Tenzin Lekphell, Secretary General of BIMSTEC, and Mr. Esala Weerakoon, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Mr. A.K. Abdul Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, spoke virtually as the Chief Guest. In his speech, he reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthen BIMSTEC to explore the highest degree of peace, progress, and prosperity for the peoples of the region. He expressed the hope that connectivity in the region would one day lead to visa-free mobility as well as free mobility of goods and services, and technology and capital.

Mr. Lekphell looked back on the organization’s milestones in the last 25 years, such as the establishment of the Secretariat in Dhaka in 2014 and the signing of the BIMSTEC Charter during the Fifth Summit in Colombo on 30 March 2022. He stated that crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic also present opportunities, and emphasized that BIMSTEC holds much promise as a platform for intensifying regional cooperation, including strengthening intra-regional supply chains and trade. He remarked on the adoption of the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity and expressed hope that its implementation would help the region achieve its aspiration of a truly connected Bay of Bengal region.

BIMSTEC also launched the special publication 25 Years of BIMSTEC – Towards a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region during the celebration.

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