BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey met with ADB President Masato Kanda during his visit to Manila on November 6-7. Photo : BIMSTEC

DHAKA, Nov 10, 2025 (BSS) - Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening cooperation with BIMSTEC and exploring new avenues of collaboration, underscoring the Bank's strong emphasis on partnerships with regional organisations like BIMSTEC.

The assurance was made when BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey met with ADB President Masato Kanda and other senior management officials during his visit to Manila on November 6-7, said a BIMSTEC press release here today.  
The discussions reviewed ongoing cooperation and explored ways to expand collaboration in future, it added. 

Secretary General Pandey appreciated ADB's longstanding support in developing key regional frameworks, including the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity, Grid Interconnection Master Plan, and the BIMSTEC Transport Infrastructure and Logistics Study, along with various capacity-building programmes.

ADB President Kanda expressed satisfaction over the progress made under the partnership and reiterated ADB's readiness to work closely with BIMSTEC in achieving shared goals of sustainable development, resilience, and prosperity across the Bay of Bengal region.

During separate meetings with ADB Vice Presidents Yingming Yang (South, Central and West Asia) and Fatima Yasmin (Sectors and Themes), both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in priority areas of mutual interest. 

They highlighted the growing convergence between BIMSTEC's development agenda and ADB's regional strategy.

Pandey also called for scaling up technical assistance grants and considering project-based collaboration to deepen engagement. 

He stressed that cooperation between BIMSTEC and ADB plays a crucial role in advancing inclusive growth and regional integration.

While in Manila, the BIMSTEC Secretary General paid a courtesy call on Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and briefed her on the progress of regional cooperation under BIMSTEC. They discussed future collaboration between BIMSTEC and ASEAN as the Philippines prepares to assume ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026.

BIMSTEC brings together seven member countries of the Bay of Bengal region-Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand-to promote cooperation across sectors including connectivity, trade, energy, climate resilience, and human resource development.