Kathmandu, October 16
Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has called leaders of BIMSTEC countries to connect with one another by developing a ‘Buddist circuit’ in the region to promote people to people relations.
Prachanda, who was addressing the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit in Goa, stressed on the similarities between the BIMSTEC countries in terms of shared culture, history and geography.
Nepal accords high priority to connectivity with other BIMSTEC countries and wants to work together in areas of energy and hydropower, the Prime Minister said.
He identified terrorism and extremism as a common challenge to countries in the region that all members should unite to fight.
The summit meeting of the heads of government of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) is taking place in the Indian resort city from October 15-16. The grouping of emerging economies has a tradition of having an outreach event with leaders of the region where the host country is located. For example, when the meeting took place in Brazil in 2014, leaders of Latin American countries were invited for an outreach. Similarly, in 2015 Russia had invited all the Central Asian countries when it hosted the summit.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who invited leaders of SAARC countries to attend his swearing in ceremony in May 2014, gave priority to BIMISTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) this time in view of souring ties with Pakistan.
Nepal became a member of BIMISTEC in 2003, and currently holds the chair of the grouping that has Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand as members.
