Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Kathmandu to attend the 4th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit where he is pitching for enhanced connectivity and greater "cooperation and coordination" among member states. PM Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal today. The prime minister has said that the region has become a meeting point for India's Neighbourhood First and Act East policies.
The theme of this year's summit is 'Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region' which, PM Modi said, will enable the member-countries to shape a collective response to their common aspirations and challenges.
On his arrival in Nepal on Thursday, PM Modi was received by Ishwar Pokhrel, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Nepal. Later in the day, the prime minister held bilateral talks with regional leaders, including Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
BIMSTEC is a regional grouping of seven nations; Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population and has a combined GDP of $2.8 trillion.
Here are the live updates of Day 2 of the BIMSTEC Summit:
With a commitment by PM @narendramodi and other leaders to reinvigorate the BIMSTEC process, the #BIMSTECSummit in Kathmandu came to a successful close. pic.twitter.com/d0vBvVVh3k
- Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 31, 2018
Mr. Prayut Chan-o-cha and I had a great meeting. Our talks focussed on boosting cooperation between India and Thailand for the mutual benefit of our citizens. pic.twitter.com/lPpFnn109x
- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2018
