Myanmar government held the 1st BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting on Agriculture sector in Nay Pyi Taw to ensure sustainable and inclusive development and promoting cooperation in agricultural sector

Myanmar hosted the 1stBIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture at Hilton Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on 12th July.

Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Dr. Aung Thu and Secretary General of BIMSTEC Ambassador M. Shahidul Islam delivered speeches. As the agricultural sector is one of the 14 areas of BIMSTEC cooperation, the Union Minister called for economic cooperation among member states to ensure sustainable and inclusive development, and promoting cooperation in agricultural sector.

As per the decision of 4th BIMSTEC Summit held in Nepal last year, Myanmar hosted the 1st BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture, and the 1st BIMSTEC Experts Working Group on Agriculture Meeting.

Deputy Director General, Planning Department, Dr. Thandar Kyi said “The Meeting will discuss and coordinate the matters on further progressive cooperation on agriculture, adopt the suggestions and discussions by high-ranking officials resulted from the 1st BIMSTEC Experts Working Group on Agriculture Meeting, and decide the date and place for 2nd BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture.”

The high ranking officials and representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand participated the 1st BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture.

The official expressed that cooperation among member States leads to ensure food sufficiency and nutrition, trade and investment, and trade facilitations in the region.

Deputy Director General, Planning Department, Dr. Thandar Kyi said “The information sharing and technical cooperation will be included in our discussion. India made commitment to offer 5 scholarships each for Master and Doctorate degrees for BIMSTEC member states starting February 2020. Thailand has conducted workshops on good agricultural practices, and plans are also underway to conduct workshops on value chain management.”

BIMSTEC member nations have a combined population of some 1.5 billion people, 22 percent of global population, and gross domestic product (GDP) of US$ 2.7 trillion overall.

(Myanmar International TV Channel: https://www.myanmaritv.com/news/bimstec-meeting-discussion-made-cooperation-agriculture-sector )

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