BIMSTEC priority for India: Minister
Kathmandu, Aug 29 : A day ahead of the start of 4th BIMSTEC Summit, India's Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on Wednesday said that the sub-regional group of seven nations was a priority for India as it fulfilled the country's "Neighbourhood First" and "Act East" foreign policy goals.
Speaking at the 16th ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) chaired by Nepal's Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, the Minister said that with the completion of 21 years, BIMSTEC was at a critical juncture.
He reiterated India's sincere and abiding commitment to work with all BIMSTEC member- states for a safe, strong and prosperous Bay of Bengal region.
Earlier, a Foreign Secretary-level meeting discussed a wide range of issues like regional connectivity, customs cooperation, counterterrorism, regional security, agriculture cooperation, poverty alleviation and traditional medicine.
It also discussed establishment of a permanent Secretariat of BIMSTEC in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
During the meeting, the Foreign Secretaries of member-states agreed on setting up of a dedicated development fund for executing projects and conducting research in the region.
They decided to set up a technical team to finalise the modalities of the BIMSTEC Development Fund and decide its size and objectives, said Nepal's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Bharat Raj Poudyal.
They also agreed on the drafting of a dedicated charter for the body by studying templates of charters of other regional bodies.
Nepal is the current Chair of the body of seven countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal which was formed in June 1997 and will be hosting the summit on August 30 and 31.
They also recommended trimming the numbers of areas of cooperation undertaken by the regional body and identifying focused agendas of cooperation.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
