DHAKA, Feb 10, 2025 (BSS) - BIMSTEC Secretary General (SG) Indra Mani Pandey has said the regional forum should develop a mutual commitment for shared developmental and face security challenges as she returned to the grouping’s secretariat in Dhaka after a visit to Sri Lanka.

   “(The) SG’s visit to Sri Lanka underscored the BIMSTEC's commitment to strengthening regional cooperation in order to address the shared developmental and security challenges,” the secretariat of the seven-nation grouping said in a statement today.

   It said during the visit, Pandey called on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya who reaffirmed Colombo’s steadfast commitment to BIMSTEC and emphasized the critical role of strengthening collaboration in Science, Technology and Innovation as well as health and human resource development. 

  Originally founded as a grouping of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand for economic cooperation), the organisation later became a seven-nation forum with inclusion of Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal but still carries its original name.
   
   The statement said Pandey also met with Sri Lankan foreign affairs minister Vijitha Herath and discussed with him Colombo’s priorities and its pivotal role in driving regional cooperation through BIMSTEC.

   The Secretary General also presented a keynote address at the BIMSTEC Digital Conclave, organized by the Asia Group with support of the Secretariat and the Sri Lankan government.

   In his remarks, the top BIMSTEC official underscored the significance of the Conclave in advancing regional digital transformation and highlighted the forum’s achievements, goals, and challenges in fostering regional cooperation in digital domain.

   The secretary general reiterated BIMSTEC's dedication to achieving inclusive and sustainable development across the Bay of Bengal region.

   Bangladesh hosts the BIMSTEC secretariat in Dhaka.