Nepal and Bhutan are going to be the new members of the BIMSTEC- Bangladesh, India Mayanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation during the summit of the regional grouping scheduled to be held in Phuket, Thailand in February 9, The Himalayan Times reported.

Talking about Nepal’s membership in the group, spokesperson for the Ministry, Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai said, “Nepal had applied for the BIMSTEC membership right after its formation, but there was no provision for new membership until five years after its establishment.”

“However, the five year provision ended in 2002. Therefore, the Phuket summit will formally decide on issuing membership to us,” he added. The BIMSTEC was formed in 1997.

The then Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narendra Bikram Shah had participated in the BIMSTEC meeting last year as an observer. But this time, ambassador-at-large Bekh Bahadur Thapa will represent Nepal in the Summit, which will take place at a higher level then in the past.

In previous years, the BIMSTEC meetings were held at the ministerial level. But now onwards the Prime Ministers or the head of the member states will participate in the summit.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has already confirmed his participation at the summit. According to the report, India has responded positively to the inclusion of Nepal and Bhutan in the Group.

The BIMSTEC currently focuses on enhancing cooperation in crucial areas like transportation links, investment, tourism, fisheries and agriculture. The group is committed to discuss on developing the proposed ‘Asian Highway Network’ that will link South Asia with Southeast Asia by roads.

The BIMSTEC members also hope to enter into a free trade agreement between the member countries.

Asking for the anonymity, an official from the Ministry said, “For Nepal, becoming a BIMSTEC member means seeking new areas of cooperation among South Asian Countries.” nepalnews.com rs Jan 18