Kathmandu, August 26
Nepali officials say they will press representatives of BIMSTEC member states to finalise the proposed protocol of the transport and transit agreement at the earliest as the regional body consisting of seven countries is holding its fourth summit in Kathmandu this week.
Whereas the summit has been scheduled for Thursday and Friday, concerned officials are gathering on Tuesday to discuss the protocol. Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi will lead the meeting.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport say they will try their best to finalise the protocol at the earliest as landlocked countries–Nepal and Bhutan–will benefit the most if the agreement comes into effect anytime soon.
Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have already put their comments on the draft of the protocol, according to Keshav Kumar Sharma, Chief of Foreign Support Division at the Transport Ministry.
“Though this is a complex issue, we have been holding discussion over the draft and most of the issues have been settled,” he claims, “We will make maximum efforts to finalise the protocol this time.”
Some officials, however, are skeptical that the protocol would be finalised anytime soon as all countries want the document to address their individual concerns.
