U THAN SWE, Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs attended the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand, on the morning of 3 April 2025.
The meeting was chaired by Mr Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. The Foreign Ministers of other BIMSTEC Member States, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and the Secretary-General of the BIMSTEC also attended the meeting.
Before the meeting, the ministers and representatives observed a one-minute silence for the victims of the recent earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. The foreign ministers from BIMSTEC Member States expressed their condolences for the damage and loss of life caused by the earthquake in Myanmar and expressed their continued support and assistance to Myanmar.
In his statement, the Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed deep gratitude to the BIMSTEC Member States for despatching rescue teams and assisting Myanmar in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025. He noted with satisfaction that the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit will adopt the BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision (2030) and the Rules of Procedures for BIMSTEC mechanisms. He informed the meeting that Myanmar, as the Lead Country for the BIMSTEC Agriculture and Food Security Sector, hosted the First BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and related meetings. He underlined that Myanmar will continue to work with BIMSTEC member countries to implement the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity and to achieve further progress in the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway Project. In conclusion, he reaffirmed Myanmar’s unwavering commitment to collaboration with all Member States to achieve the goals set in the BIMSTEC Charter and to build a “Prosperous, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC”.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs signed the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation, which was held ahead of the Twentieth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting.
Thailand is also hosting the BIMSTEC Young Gen Forum on 2 and 3 April 2025 in conjunction with the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit, and a young entrepreneur from the private sector is participating in the forum, representing Myanmar. — MNA
