The leaders of BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) are going to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narender Modi. BJP registered a landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election and decimated all the opposition parties. The Government of India (GoI) has sent invitations to BIMSTEC leaders and the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Mauritius.

 

 

 

The BIMSTEC is a regional organisation comprising of seven member countries namely India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The organisation which came into existence on June 6, 1997, under Bangkok Declaration, was originally named as BIST-EC and was renamed as BIMST-EC after inclusion of Myanmar in December 1997. This was followed by Nepal becoming an observer in 1988 and later in 2004 Nepal along with Bhutan became a full member of the organisation.

 

The BIMSTEC leaders, who have been invited for the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi are: Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Bhutan; Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal; Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka; Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand and; Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, a position similar to Prime Minister.