Embassy of IndiaYangon, Myanmar

Visit of H.E. Smt Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs of India to Myanmar for 13th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting,  January 20-22, 2011

H.E. Smt. Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs of India, visited Myanmar on January 20-22, 2011 for the 13th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw.

2.             BIMSTEC brings together countries from South Asia and South East Asia. It is integral to our ‘Look East’ policy and helps to focus on India’s North-East region.

1. The 13th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting took stock of progress made in the mutually identified 14 sectors of cooperation. The Ministerial Meeting welcomed the decision to hold the 3rd BIMSTEC Summit in Myanmar in 2011. The Meeting also welcomed Nepal's offer to host the Ministerial Meeting in 2012 and congratulated Nepal on taking over the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC in 2012.
2. The Memorandum of Agreement on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Energy Center in India was signed during the 13th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting. This would enable early establishment of the Energy Center and support the various ongoing programmes of cooperation in this important sector.
    
   5.             The meeting also decided that the BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat would be located in Bangladesh. The Government of Sri Lanka was requested to nominate the first Secretary General.

1. Smt. Preneet Kaur also joined other Heads of Delegations in a joint call on H.E. U Thein Sein, Prime Minister of Myanmar.

1. In Nay Pyi Taw, Smt. Preneet Kaur had a bilateral meeting with H.E. U Nyan Win, the Foreign Minister of Myanmar.  During the meeting, matters of bilateral and regional importance were discussed.  The two leaders emphasised the need to further enrich the close cooperation between the two countries.  Smt Kaur conveyed the decision of Government of India to help set up a Myanmar-India Industrial Training Centre in Monywa, along the lines of that set up in Pakokku in 2010.  The Myanmar side expressed appreciation for this decision.

1. Smt. Preneet Kaur also had a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr Kasit Piromaya, Foreign Minister of Thailand. The Ministers had an exchange of views on matters of bilateral and regional importance including on ASEAN and the East Asia Summit. The Ministers also exchanged views on the various projects of cooperation under BIMSTEC and the Mekong Ganga Cooperation initiatives.
2. Prior to the her visit to Nay Pyi Taw, Smt. Preneet Kaur visited Yangon and interacted with members of the Indian community in Myanmar, who hosted a reception in her honour.  In Yangon, she also visited the holy Shwedagon Pagoda and the Mazar of Bahadurshah Zafar

January 22, 2011