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Published on September 9, 2014
"The activities of BIMSTEC should be focused time-bound and result-oriented to fulfill hopes and aspirations of the people in the region", she said.
The Prime Minister was talking to visiting BIMSTEC Secretary General Sumith Nakandala who paid a courtesy call on her at her Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office this evening.
After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhury briefed reporters.
Sheikh Hasina said the aim of the regional forum should be alleviating poverty as the largest number of poor people is living in this part of the world.
The Prime Minister also underscored cooperation among the member states of the organization in the areas of trade and investment and said connectivity should be strengthened for the economic integration to this end.
In this regard, she mentioned that improved connectivity could substantially contribute to boosting the economic activities in the region.
Congratulating Sumith Nakandala on his joining the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka as the first Secretary General, Sheikh Hasina said he may face some challenges at the beginning.
But, the Prime Minister assured him of extending all-out cooperation from the Bangladesh government side to turn BIMSTEC into an organized regional forum overcoming these challenges.
At the meeting, Sumith Nakandala said BIMSTEC has tremendous prospects for the economic integration of the region and member states should work closely and collectively for mutual benefits.
The BIMSTEC Secretary General lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her role in poverty alleviation and expansion of education in Bangladesh and hoped that the regional forum would march forward under her able and dynamic leadership to achieve its goal.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organization involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia. These are: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The regional forum was founded on June 6 in 1997 in Bangkok.
-BSS
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