KATHMANDU: Visiting Secretary-General of the Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Tenzin Lekphell paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

In the meeting held at the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar today, the two discussed further consolidating the BIMSTEC process, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lekphell is currently on his four-day introductory visit to Nepal.

On the occasion, PM Deuba said that Nepal will have creative and meaningful participation in regional forums like BIMSTEC and pledged Nepal’s full commitment and constructive support for the BIMSTEC procedures to make further advances.

Deuba also expressed his confidence that BIMSTEC would achieve a milestone in realizing the aspiration of regional cooperation and further strengthening the BIMSTEC’s achievements.

Commending Nepal for its contribution to the BIMSTEC, the Secretary-General said the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit held in Kathmandu was a milestone for the promotion, well-management, and institutional development of the areas of mutual cooperation.

He also applauded Nepal’s commitments towards the regional economic bloc.

Sri Lanka has proposed to host the BIMSTEC Fifth Summit which is already delayed by two years due to the COVID-19 crisis.

However, member nations in the BIMSTEC are yet to endorse the proposal.

BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising seven members Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal while the first four nations are its founding members. It came into being on June 6, 1997.