Kathmandu, August 31
After successfully concluding the fourth summit of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), its member states are preparing to hold the maiden joint military exercise in September.
The exercise will be held in Pune from September 10 to 16.
Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand will send 30 personnel each to the programme.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali says the joint exercise is not launched against any other country. He claims the exercise is meant to prepare the military personnel of participating countries for natural disaster rescue efforts.
Earlier, some had suspected that India devised the plan for its vested military interests.
