Kathmandu [Nepal], Aug 30 (NT): PM Modi landed in Kathmandu to attend the 4th edition of BIMSTEC summit today. He was accorded Ceremonial welcome and warmly received by Ishwar Pokhrel, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Nepal on his arrival at Kathmandu airport.
Here is the quick look of fourth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit-
1. Bimstec came into existence on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration. It includes seven countries lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal .These nations are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
2. The alliance brings together 1.5 billion people, or 21 per cent of the world's populace which has a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion.
3.The main purpose of Bimstec is technical and economic cooperation among South Asian and Southeast Asian nations along the edge of the Bay of Bengal.
4. With the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) almost provided unproductive as an alliance, mainly due to non-cooperation on the part of Pakistan on subjects like connectivity and counter-terrorism, India has been giving more value to Bimstec .
5. India is the lead country for cooperation in four priority areas- counter-terrorism and transnational crime, transport and communication, tourism and environment, and disaster management.
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