BIMSTEC
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, groups together Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The seven-country forum aims to achieve its own free trade area by 2017.
last update: May 2012
Articles
-
8-Mar-2011 BIMSTEC free trade area from July next year
The BIMSTEC member countries have decided to establish a free trade area (FTA) for transaction in goods from July next year. If established, the FTA would be two years behind its original deadline, trade official said. -
25-Feb-2011 PTI Thailand to push for FTA with Bimstec members by July
Thailand today said it will push for the conclusion of a free trade agreement with India and other members of Bimstec by July, enabling tariff reduction next year. -
8-Jun-2009 ToI India seals free-trade pact with Thailand
India took its trade diplomacy up several notches with negotiators wrapping up a free trade deal in goods with other BIMSTEC countries, ie. Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal. -
13-Nov-2008 Manmohan pitches for early conclusion of BIMSTEC trade pact
Pitching for early conclusion of the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said countries in Asia should give a new strategic thrust to the cooperation in the backdrop of global financial crisis. -
13-Nov-2008 Bimstec Free Trade Agreement on anvil
A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) amongst Bimstec region is in the pipeline, according to Mr Yogendra Kumar, additional secretary, ministry of external affairs. -
10-Nov-2008 BIMSTEC parley begins tomorrow
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the summit conference of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to be held in New Delhi on November 13. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with India’s Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. -
6-Nov-2008 BIMSTEC meet to positively impact India’s northeast region
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand established in 1997 is a $810 billion economy, sharing about 22% of world population and 3.64% of surface area. After a gap of three years, India is going to host the second BIMSTEC summit during November 11-13, 2008 at New Delhi. The last summit was held in Bangkok in 2004. The summit-level meeting in BIMSTEC was delayed mainly due to political reasons and non-cooperation of some of the member countries. -
1-Sep-2008 Energy Bangla BIMSTEC can be a bridge between South & Southeast Asia
Bangladesh feels that the BIMSTEC has immense potential for creating greater economic interaction, flow of trade and investment among the member states, though its FTA has yet to be finalised. -
1-Jul-2008 Bimstec meet will focus on poverty, food security
Seven countries of the Bay of Bengal rim will plan a common agenda for agriculture development to ensure food security and measures aimed at poverty alleviation at their first ministerial meeting here on 9 July. -
30-May-2007 Minority opinion
It remains unclear to me what the advantages of being part of the Saarc grouping are over entering into bilateral relations with each individual Saarc country instead. I have always like the concept of Bimstec instead. -
26-Dec-2006 Daily India India forms new SA trade bloc sans Pak
In what is being described as a success for India and a "failure and punishment for Pakistan" on the economic diplomacy front, India has formed a regional trading bloc excluding Islamabad, and including all the SAFTA members, besides Thailand. -
7-Oct-2006 Stalled trade negotiations under BIMSTEC
The next meeting of the Trade Negotiation Committee (TNC) of BIMSTEC is hanging in the balance due to inability of the member countries to fix a date for reviewing the progress of the previous meetings. -
28-Sep-2006 India to document revenue loss due to NTBs in Bimstec trade
Concerned over the possibility of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) of Bimstec nations becoming an obstacle to the projected 74% jump in India’s exports to them from 2003 figures, the government will soon collect data regarding the current and future revenue loss incurred due to the NTBs. -
10-Aug-2006 BIMSTEC meet sets early deadline for FTA
Foreign Ministers from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Economic and Technical Cooperation have agreed that negotiations to finalise a BIMSTEC free trade agreement should be concluded before the next BIMSTEC summit scheduled to be held early next year in India. -
10-Aug-2006 BIMSTEC meet fails to announce date for implementing free trade pact; Nepal to lead BIMSTEC to poverty alleviation
The ninth ministerial meet of the BIMSTEC failed to announce the date for implementing the already agreed upon free trade agreement. -
10-Aug-2006 Nepal stresses FTA deal, Asia highway
Minister for Finance Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat led the Nepalese delegation to the Ninth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi today. -
9-Aug-2006 Dhaka asks Bimstec to be flexible for equitable trade
Bangladesh urged the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) countries to show more flexibility in addressing concerns of all member-countries to ensure equitable trade under the Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement. -
9-Aug-2006 Political problems no threat to FTAs, says Kantathi
Thailand yesterday dismissed news reports that political problems at home had delayed negotiations on free-trade agreements (FTAs) among members of the regional Bimstec trade bloc. -
7-Aug-2006 Financial Express ’New Thai govt may push forward BIMSTEC FTA’
The sagging negotiations on the proposed BIMSTEC Free Trade Area (FTA) agreement are likely to get momentum after a new government is installed in Thailand through October 18 elections, the Thai foreign minister said in the city Sunday, report agencies. -
27-Jul-2006 BIMSTEC Taking Shape, Finally
The Bay of Bengal for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), a regional trading bloc of seven South and Southeast Asian countries, is giving final shape to its free trade agreement in Colombo this week.
-
BIMSTEC
Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (also includes Nepal and Bhutan)
