Press - Release Bimstec

Ambassador-at-large Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa returned to Kathmandu today after leading the Nepalese delegation to the BIMST-EC ministerial meetings on 7 and 8 February 2004 at Phuket, Thailand.

At the opening of the 6th meeting of BIMST-EC foreign ministers on 8 February 2004, Nepal and Bhutan were officially admitted as new members of the forum amidst a brief ceremony marked by flag-march and a formal announcement of the admittance. At the plenary session that followed, Dr. Thapa expressed thanks and appreciation, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, to the Governments of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand for the admission. He also pledged Nepal's support for the success of the forum. The meeting was chaired by Foreign Minister Dr. Sirakiart Sathirathai of Thailand.

Later in the afternoon, Dr. Thapa signed the Framework Agreement for BIMST-EC Free Trade Area, together with the Trade/Commerce Ministers of India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and Bhutanese Ambassador on behalf of respective governments. The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra of Thailand and foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Prime Minister hosted a dinner in honour of the BIMST-EC delegations that same day.

Earlier that afternoon, the Ministerial meeting adopted a joint statement welcoming Nepal and Bhutan as new members of BIMST-EC. The meeting also agreed on several measures to shape the future direction of the forum's work, including toward increasing people-to-people contact and facilitating travel by business people and others in the region. It also welcomed Thailand’s offer to host the first Summit meeting of BIMST-EC later this year. The meeting also decided, among other things, to extend the 'Visit BIMST-EC Year 2004' to 2005 as well, particularly in view of the joining in of Nepal and Bhutan.

Dr. Thapa held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai of Thailand the same day. Measures to further strengthen relations at bilateral as well as regional levels were discussed during the meeting.

Earlier on 7 February 2004, Dr. Thapa led the Nepalese delegation at the 5th BIMST-EC meeting of Trade/Economic Ministers. The meeting was chaired by Minister of Commerce Watana Muangsook of Thailand. The meeting considered the report of the Senior Trade/Economic Officials meeting held in Bangkok last month. The report contains, among other things, the text of the Framework Agreement for BIMST-EC Free Trade Area prepared by a group of experts chaired by Sri Lanka.

At the sideline of the same meeting, Dr. Thapa held bilateral discussions with Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, Foreign Minister of Bhutan, on matters relating to the Bhutanese refugees.

Foreign Secretary Madhu Raman Acharya led the Nepalese delegation to the 7th BIMST-EC Senior Officials' Meeting, also at Phuket of Thailand, held on 5 and 6 February 2004, in preparation for the ministerial meetings.

BIMST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation) was founded in 1997 as a forum for regional cooperation among its members and Nepal was its observer since 1998. The forum agreed to grant membership to Nepal in December 2003.


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Shital Niwas, Kathmandu.
Monday, 9 February 2004