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BIMSTEC meeting to take place in Feb every year

By Diplomatic Correspondent
A ministerial meeting of BIMSTEC countries will be held In February every year to give a greater momentum to the five-member regional body.
The next ministerial meeting will be held in Myanmar.
This was decided at the third ministerial meeting of BIMSTEC countries held in Delhi on July 6. State Minister for Foreign Affairs told newsmen here yesterday. Chow-dhury led the Bangladesh dele -Nation at the meeting. He was the outgoing chairman of BIMSTEC.
The Delhi meeting also launched the BIMSTEC Econo -mic Forum to promote private sector trade, investment and tourism among the countries.
A meeting of BIMSTEC tourism ministers is likely in Dhaka this year and BIMSTEC Tourism Year will be launched next year. The-meeting also de -elded to encourage growth of private sector airlines in the region, he said.
The Delhi meeting was delayed by several mon Uis.
"The decision to hold the
annual meeting in February every year would add a greater momentum and give the organisation a more focussed direc • lion." Chowdhury said.
BIMSTEC. launched in Bangkok in 1997. includes Bangladesh. India. Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand The grouping is increasingly being considered as a bridge between the SAARC and the ASEAN.
“Any one can decide to set up a regional airline to connect the BIMSTEC capitals and other cities in the region.” Chowdhury said.
BlMSTEC countries would be willing to provide concessional air fare and other facilities by reducing "basic costs' for operations of such airlines, he said.
To give It more institutional shape. ambassadors of BIMSTEC countries in Bangkok have started holding informal consultations every week
The Delhi meeting had "fruitful and productive" discussions on enhancing public sector and private sector cooperation in trade and investment in agro-based and pharmaceu-
tical Industries. Stress was also given on Ilie need for development of Information Technology.
The meeting also discussed several Issues relating to the Trans-Asian Highway and improving communication among the member countries.
Detailed discussions were held on the already identified six areas such as trade and investment. technology, transportation and communication, energy, tourism, and fisheries.
Prior to the ministerial level meeting, senior officials of the member countries adopted a plan of action for two projects — Energy and Infrastructure Development and Research and Development of New and Renewable Energy.
The meeting decided to incorporate agriculture and disaster management In future programmes. Chowdhury said.
Foreign Secretary C M Shall Sami. Director General Mohammad Al Haroon, and Director General of External Publicity Hossain Komol. among others, were present at the briefing