Union Minister for International Cooperation U Ko Ko Hlaing attends 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting

U Ko Ko Hlaing, Union Minister for International Cooperation, attended the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting, held via video conference yesterday at 4 pm from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nay Pyi Taw.
The Meeting was chaired by Mr Dinesh Gunawardena, Foreign Minister of the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and attended by Foreign Ministers from the BIMSTEC Member States, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and the Secretary-General of BIMSTEC.
At the meeting, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka delivered opening remarks and the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers delivered the statements.
In his statement, Union Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, among others, stated that it was necessary for BIMSTEC to overcome the challenges through cooperation and collective efforts.
He stressed that economic cooperation and resumption of safe regional transport connectivity should be given the utmost priority of the BIMSTEC mechanism in post-COVID-19 era.
He suggested to intensify cooperation in the agriculture sector for regional food security as well as to enhance cooperation in energy sector.
He also stressed the incorporation of the poverty alleviation element in BIMSTEC’s post-COVID-19 cooperation activities.
He also informed the meeting that under the initiative of Myanmar, the first-ever BIMSTEC Annual Drug Report-2019 had been published and appreciated all Member States for their contribution.
He further highlighted that the BIMSTEC Charter, which is to be signed at the forthcoming 5th BIMSTEC Summit, would not only be the opening of the new chapter of rules-based cooperation but also reaffirm the well-established principles of BIMSTEC such as non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful co-existence, mutual respect and mutual benefit and consensus. He reiterated Myanmar’s firm commitments to fully cooperate with the Member States towards a “Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region”.
At the meeting, the Ministers reviewed developments in 14 sectors of cooperation and exchanged views on the future direction of BIMSTEC.
The Ministers discussed and approved the outcome documents to be adopted/signed at the upcoming Fifth BIMSTEC Summit.
The Joint Statement of the Seventeenth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting was issued at the end of the Meeting.—MNA