Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamu alaikum and Good Morning

I am privileged and delighted to address this 9th session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials meeting. This Session is of special significance as Bangladesh will assume the stewardship of BIMSTEC. I would like to pay special tribute to Thailand for their performance as outgoing Chair. Their proactive role in pursing the BIMSTEC agenda with dedication and commitment deserve our commendation.

It is also a pleasure to see the participants from the BIMSTEC, who are also our close neighbours, at this session. I would like to extend to all of you a hearty welcome. I hope that your stay in our country will be enjoyable and fruitful.

Mr. Chairman,

The successful conclusion of the First BIMSTEC Summit in July 2004 in Bangkok was a historic event. This was an occasion for our Leaders to reiterate their determination to pursue the objectives of the grouping - accelerated economic development and sustained social progress.

In BIMSTEC, our purpose is to achieve better economic performance, enhance our competitive edge in the world market and sustain economic development. The essence of BIMSTEC is the commitment to ensure that our countries grow together. Several factors make enhanced level of cooperation among our nations an imperative.

We are confronting common challenges of socio-economic development and the impact of globalization. Meeting these challenges - given their complexity and dimension - demand collective efforts.

The second imperative comes from the need to foster complementarity. In an increasingly interdependent world, no nation can sustain its economic prosperity unless it is shared. An expanding economy needs a larger market, expanding production requires a larger consumer base, and progress in industrialization tends to relocation from more advanced to the less. BIMSTEC provides an excellent space for these market forces to play to the mutual benefit of member countries.

The third factor constitutes the resources at our disposal, our experience, and, most of all, our determination to achieve shared prosperity. BIMSTEC members have all a record of sound macroeconomic management and sustained economic growth. This notable performance, demonstrates the strength of our nations to realize their potentials. Speedy progress can be achieved by combining our strengths, by making the complementarity work, and by exploring the untapped potentials.

A major step has been taken by the signing of the Framework Agreement for a BIMSTEC Free Trade Area covering goods, services and investment. I am pleased to learn that negotiations on specific issues in the Agreement on Trade in Goods are progressing well.

As Prime Minister Khaleda Zia said at the First BIMSTEC Summit, "BIMSTEC should aim at equitable growth of our economies. Our strategies should be supportive of the growing sectors, particularly those facing the challenges of globalization". This assumes particular significance for countries like Bangladesh as we grapple with the impact of the phasing out of the Multi Fibre Agreement.

At the Summit last year, our leaders agreed to the expansion of BIMSTEC areas of cooperation. The new areas would include education, public health, terrorism and transnational crimes, small and medium-scale enterprises, environment, ICT, and natural disaster mitigation & management. While our prime focus remains on the six priority areas, we should explore the possibilities of cooperation in these areas. Some progress has been made in the area of terrorism and transnational crimes. These efforts should lead to concrete BIMSTEC projects or programmes.

Since its inception, the BIMSTEC has expanded in size with new members as well as in substance with expansion of areas of cooperation.

Mr. Chairman,

As Bangladesh takes relay from Thailand, it will be our special endeavour to strengthen cooperation within the grouping. We shall work closely together to build on the progress made and to take the BIMSTEC process decisively forward.

It is through our shared commitment to partnership and cooperation - as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra underlined at the Summit last year - that we can and will make a positive difference in the lives of our peoples. I am confident your deliberations will contribute effectively to translating the vision of our leaders into concrete action.

I wish your meeting all success.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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