Kathmandu: Nepal is to enter into yet another powerful regional grouping, the BIMSTEC, beginning next year.
BIMSTEC comprises of countries like Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Srilanka and Thailand.
Sources at Thailand Embassy in Kathmandu say that the BIMSTEC organization is to provide its full membership to Nepal at its February 9, 2004, meeting scheduled to be held in Fuket, Thailand.
Senior economists in Nepal say that Nepal’s entry into the BIMSTEC bodes well for this country as Nepal now could have its access upto ASEAN through BIMSTEC.
To recall, Nepal until now had been granted the status of an “observer” only in the BIMSTEC.
Preparations are underway in Thailand to greet Nepal as one of the full members of the BIMST Economic cooperation.
Coinciding with the BIMSTEC impending meeting in Thailand, a Youth Football Tournament is being held in Thailand which will see the participation of youth footballers from all the BIMSTEC member countries including now Nepal.
The football tournament is to begin from 3rd February, which will last till the 9th of the same month.
The Fuket meeting of the BIMSTEC is talked to concentrate itself on how to expand economic cooperation between and among the members of the BIMSTEC.
“It is up to Nepal now to exploit this golden opportunity by being in the comity of BIMSTEC”, opined a senior economist associated with the Tribhuban University.
The BIMSTEC will endorse the entrance of Nepal and Bhutan as its full member.
BIMSTEC will henceforth will take the form of BIMSTNB-EC.