Foreign Minister attended the BIMSTEC foreign ministers' retreat

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud attended the second BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' retreat hosted by his Indian counterpart, Dr S Jaishankar, in New Delhi on Thursday.

Jaishankar described the meeting as "productive" and thanked the foreign ministers for joining the meeting, reports UNB.

"Our conversation covered the whole gamut of BIMSTEC collaboration," Jaishankar said, adding that they discussed strengthening connectivity, institutional building, cooperation in trade and business, collaboration in health and space, digital public infrastructure, capacity building, and societal exchanges, as well as weighing on the merits of new mechanisms.

He said they are confident that today’s deliberations will contribute to solid outcomes and practical collaborations at the forthcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand.

Jaishankar said the retreat is meant to exchange ideas openly, candidly, and fruitfully.

"We all benefited from the last such exercise in Bangkok," he said.

This one now has particular importance as it serves to prepare strong outcomes for the summit to be held later in the year.

"Our message should be clear– that we are all determined to infuse new energies, new resources, and a new commitment into cooperation among the Bay of Bengal nations," Jaishankar said.

The first edition of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat was held in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 17, 2023.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), brings together seven countries in South and Southeast Asia for multifaceted cooperation.