Bangladesh has called upon BIMSTEC member states to extend full cooperation in ensuring the timely finalisation of six key constituent agreements on trade in goods under the Framework Agreement.

Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin made the appeal while leading a five-member Bangladesh delegation at the 25th session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM), which began today in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting is a precursor to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled for April 4, 2025.

In his statement, Jashim Uddin highlighted the progress made in the sector of "Trade, Investment, and Development, including Blue Economy", for which Bangladesh serves as the Lead Country.

He urged regional partners to finalise agreements related to trade in goods, Rules of Origin, Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters, Dispute Settlement Procedures and Mechanism, Trade Facilitation, Investment, and Trade in Services.

Stressing the significance of a BIMSTEC Free Trade Area (FTA), he said its realisation is crucial for the collective economic progress of the region.
The meeting also reviewed reports from previous sessions, including the Report of the Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) on the Future Direction. Discussions covered BIMSTEC's specialised centres, including the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate and the proposed BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence on Tropical Medicine.
Senior officials finalised the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Report of the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting, set to take place tomorrow. Additionally, they completed the drafts of provisional agenda and declaration for the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

Bangladesh is set to host the 26th session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting in Dhaka.
Seven member countries of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) are India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka.