BIMSTEC leaders sign three cooperation agreements
The representatives of BIMSTEC countries have signed three different agreements at the Third BIMSTEC Summit in Nay Pyi Taw of Myanmar on Tuesday, concluding the third summit of the regional cooperation.
1. Memorandum of Association on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat
Objective of MoA is to establish Secretariat at Dhaka, Bangladesh, which will coordinate and facilitate the implementation of the BIMSTEC activities and projects and to service meetings of BIMSTEC. The Secretariat is expected to function from May 2014 with Mr. Sumith Nakandala of Sri Lanka as the first Secretary General of BIMSTEC.
2. Memorandum of Association Among BIMSTEC Member Countries Concerning Establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate
Purpose of the MoA is to establish the Weather and Climate Centre in India which will promote cooperation in identified areas of fundamental and applied scientific research in weather prediction and climate modeling and capacity building in weather and climate research.
Ministry of Earth Sciences is establishing the Centre in premises of National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, NOIDA.
3. Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Commission (BCIC) and BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory (BCIO)
Objective of the MoU is to set up Observatory in Bhutan, which will serve as a repository for information on cultural industries, disseminate such information and facilitate its access by the Member States. The Cultural Industries Commission is a high level oversight mechanism for the observatory, which will develop plans and programmes in this area.
The signatories of these understands are Salman Khurshid, Minister for External Affairs of India; Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh; Lyonpo Rinzin Dorje, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bhutan; U Wunna Maung Lwin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Myanmar; Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal; Kshenuka Senewiratne, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs; and Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.