Dhaka urges BIMSTEC members to finalise trade agreements

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin urged all the BIMSTEC member states to extend their full cooperation to ensure timely finalization of six fundamental agreements on trade.

He made call while addressing the 25th BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Bangkok on Wednesday (April 2).

Jashim Uddin is leading a five-member Bangladesh delegation in the SOM.

The six pending agreements are- Goods of the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area, Rules of Origin, Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters, Dispute Settlement Procedures and Mechanism, Trade Facilitation, Investment and Trade in Services.

In the meeting, Jasim Uddin delivered a statement on ‘Trade, Investment and Development including Blue Economy’.

The foreign secretary said, “Realisation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is paramount for our region’s collective economic advancement.”

The meeting considered outcomes relating to BIMSTEC Centres including BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate, and BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence on Tropical Medicine.

Senior Officials discussed and finalized the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Report of the Twentieth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting to be held tomorrow.

The meeting also finalized the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Declaration of the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

Bangladesh will host the 26th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Dhaka.