Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md Jashim Uddin at the 25th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) urged the Member States to extend their full cooperation to ensure timely finalization of six constituent agreements on trade.

The 25th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) started today (April 2) in Bangkok, Thailand, preceding the 6th BIMSTEC Summit on 4th April 2025.

A five-member Bangladesh delegation led by Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md Jashim Uddin participated in the 25th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Foreign Secretary delivered a statement on the progress of the Sector ‘Trade, Investment and Development including Blue Economy’, for which Bangladesh is the Lead Country.

He urged the Member States to extend their full cooperation to ensure timely finalization of six constituent agreements on Trade in Goods of the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area, Rules of Origin, Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters, Dispute Settlement Procedures and Mechanism, Trade Facilitation, Investment and Trade in Services, as the realization of the FTA is paramount for our region's collective economic advancement.

The meeting deliberated on the reports of the meetings held since the last Senior Officials’ Meeting including the Report of the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) on the Future Direction.

The meeting considered outcomes relating to BIMSTEC’s Centres, including the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate and the establishment of the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence on Tropical Medicine.

In preparation for upcoming high-level engagements, the Senior Officials discussed and finalized the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Report of the Twentieth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting to be held tomorrow. The Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) also finalized the draft Provisional Agenda and draft Declaration of the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

Bangladesh will host the 26th Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials' Meeting in Dhaka.