New Delhi : Ministry of External Affairs' Secretary (East) Jaisdeep Mazumder represented India at the 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting virtually and reiterated India's commitment to regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal Region, Official Spokesperson of the MEA, Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday.
The officials discussed issues of cooperation, emphasising active participation of member states for strengthening security in the region.
In a post on X, Jaiswal said, "Secy (East) Jaideep Mazumder represented India at the 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting (virtual), reiterating India's commitment to regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal Region. The meeting discussed various issues of cooperation emphasizing active participation of member states in strengthening sustainable development, connectivity, security and people to people exchanges in the region."
During the 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) hosted by Thailand which was held virtually on Thursday, the senior officials reviewed the progress in BIMSTEC since their last meeting in March 2023, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release. They deliberated on various priority areas of cooperation in the region including sustainable development, connectivity, security and people to people exchanges.
In a press release, MEA stated, "Several documents with regard to Plans of Action for cooperation in specific areas , certain new mechanisms of cooperation, and cooperation with external partners were finalised. The issues with regard to the forthcoming 6th BIMSTEC Summit were also discussed."
"The Indian delegation reiterated India's steadfast commitment to BIMSTEC and its vision for a robust, vibrant, and prosperous region," it added.
Thailand's Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Paisan Rupanichkij, chaired the 24th virtual session of BIMSTEC Senior Officials meeting. Nepal's Acting Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai represented Nepal at the meeting.
In a post on X, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday stated, "Acting Foreign Secretary @amritrai555 led a Nepali delegation to 24th virtual Session of BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting chaired by HE Mr Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, today."