Jaishankar Meets Nepali Counterpart On Sidelines Of BIMSTEC Meeting

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Nepali counterpart, Narayan Prakash Saud on Monday, on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Thailand's capital Bangkok.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said that India and Nepal have agreed to work closely to implement the agenda of cooperation set out by the leadership of both nations.

"Had a fruitful meeting with the External Affairs Minister of India HE S Jaishankar @DrSJaishankar on the sidelines of BIMSTEC Ministerial Retreat in Bangkok today; exchanged views on matters related to bilateral cooperation and our rich, multifaceted relationship," Saud tweeted.

BIMSTEC Retreat was attended by Foreign Ministers of the member nations, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Sri Lanka. The BIMSTEC has rotating chairmanship.

Earlier, Jaishankar met his Bangladeshi counterpart Abdul Momen and discussed ongoing bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Also exchanged views on regional issues.

The EAM has also called on Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. During his meeting with the Thai prime minister, Jaishankar conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also discussed ways to strengthen BIMSTEC further.

The BIMSTEC has rotating chairmanship. The leaders agreed to meet more frequently to take these ideas further. BIMSTEC is a regional multilateral organisation. Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.

BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.

Earlier, Jaishankar Co-chaired the 12th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting in Bangkok on Sunday along with his Laos counterpart PDR Saleumxay Kommasith.

Jaishankar prioritised the implementation of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. They decided to establish a Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Business Council to take forward economic cooperation and expand the ambit of exchanges in agriculture, science and technology and water resource management.

The meeting also explored new areas of development partnership, including through Quick Impact Projects and taking forward culture and tourism, and deepening museum-based cooperation. (ANI)