DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Leaders of seven countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal will be meeting in Bangkok today with the hope of reinvigorating regional cooperation in a largely fragmented world faced with a trade war and a breakdown of multilateralism.

Economists and foreign relations analysts are optimistic about the outcomes of the sixth summit of the BIMSTEC leaders, where for the first time, some important decisions will be taken that can lead to substantial progress in trade and the economy.

BIMSTEC foreign ministers, including Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, at the pre-summit meeting in Bangkok yesterday, signed an agreement on maritime transport cooperation, marking a significant

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