Scheduled for the last week of November, the visit will continue the chain of bilateral talks between Nepal and India.

“High-level meetings and engagements will be continued as done before. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will also be visiting Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha ” reveals a high-level official from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

Modi’s Former Visits to Nepal

• 2014 Visit: Modi made his first visit to Nepal after he was appointed PM to India. His visit established the need for the development of 4 C’s— Cooperation, Connectivity, Culture and Constitution between the two countries. While the ‘fourth C’ was completely a Nepal-oriented goal, the Indian Prime Minister stressed on its importance and wrote to the then-Nepal leaders Ram Baran Yadav and Sushil Koirala regarding the creation of the Nepal constitution 

• May 2018 Visit: Modi returned to the Himalayan Nation in May 2018 to renew ties with the Oli-government-run Nepal and build friendly relationships with the country, under the initiative of India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy. He discussed different ways of strengthening Nepal-India bilateral relations with Communist Party of Nepal (MC) Chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. During his visit, Modi also flagged the bus-service between Janakpur of Nepal and Ayodhya of India 

• 2018 BIMSTEC Summit: As the member of the BIMSTEC Panel, Modi visited the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit held in Nepal to extend and strengthen regional cooperation. Addressing the summit, he laid emphasis on peace between member countries, ushered the BIMSTEC Coastal Shipment & Motor Vehicle Agreement, offered digital connectivity to three member countries including Nepal and created opportunity for the development of arts & culture

It’s noteworthy that the Indian Prime Minister has brought about some serious development for both nations with every visit. Let’s see what the upcoming visit has in store for both the nations!

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High-ranking military officials met at the 11^th Asia-Pacific Intelligence Chiefs Conference (APICC) to share mutual beneficial interests and military intelligence information.

According to the Nepal Directorate of Public Relations and Information (DPR&I) at the Nepal Army Headquarters Bhadrakali, the officials interacted and agreed to share expertise and skills to counter potential security threats faced by any of the member countries.

The three-day conference that concluded on September 6, 2018 witnessed the participation of military officials from Nepal, Bangladesh, Brunei, Japan, Fiji, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Magnolia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Vietnam, Brunei, Papa New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Cambodia, America, Canada and France.

Talking about the important of such events, Nepal DPR&I said that an international interaction at such a high-level would help in enhancing military intelligence in the region.

The conference was concluded by Nepal Military General Staff Chief (CGS) and Lt. General Hemanta Raj Kunwar with the decision to organize the conference’s 12^th edition in Philippines in 2019.

The Nepali Army and US Indo-Pacific Command Directorate of Intelligence organized the conference.

Poland-Nepal Joint Military Exercise:
In another scenario, Poland proposed a joint military drill for capacity enhancement of the Nepal Army.

The proposal was made by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Btaszczak to Nepal Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Defense Minister Ishwor Pokharel, on his official visit to Poland.

Minister Pokharel has accepted the proposal. According to the DPM’s Press Coordinator, Pokharel said that the Nepal Government and Army will be ready to provide staff commando training, mountain warfare training, and para basic training to the Polish Army.

Oli’s Take on BIMSTEC Joint Military Exercise
The Indian Army had first proposed a joint military exercise in the initial meeting of the BIMSTEC army representatives in June 2018.

Furthering this cause, the Indian Government announced that it would be hosting the drill and organize a meeting of army staff chiefs on the concluding day in August 2018.

However, the decision to hold a joint military exercise was strongly criticized by Nepal PM Oli’s party members, the opposition and several others. A number of Nepali lawmakers questioned the decision of Nepal’s participation in the drill.

Nepal PM Oli was quick to clear doubts and defend the exercise, terming it as a ‘friendly gesture’.

He explained that BIMSTEC did not have any military motive or believe in holding a military pact.

“Nepal Army has been conducting such friendly military exercises with India, China, Pakistan, and the United States of America, and there are a number of other multilateral drills conducted regularly. Officials from different countries take military courses in Nepal, so do our officials in other countries,” said Oli.

Adding further he said, if there had been any military motive, it would have been added to the 18 points Kathmandu Declaration.

Conclusion:
Nepal’s enthusiasm in building and maintaining military relations in note-worthy. We hope that these military decisions will bring about the much-needed regional cooperation to counter regional security-threats.

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With common areas of concern including connectivity trade, investment, tourism, climate change, transnational crime, terrorism and peace & security, the BIMSTEC member states representatives pitched for enhanced cooperation.

Reiterating BIMSTEC’s immense potential, representatives pointed out that every member has to utilize the co-operation’s full potential. They also pledged their firm commitment to strengthening the sub-regional collaboration for mutual prosperity.

Host Country’s PM Oli’s Message:
In his opening speech, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that the member states were connected by the Himalayas and Bay of Bengal and they are keen on eliminating the obstacles to development and prosperity by strengthening cooperation in various sectors like trade, infrastructure, road, energy, business, tourism, and connectivity.

“Above all, it is our commitment — a commitment for deeper integration of our economies, of our trade and commerce. It is a commitment espoused over two decades ago, as a thoughtful response to seize the opportunities of globalization and shifting of the economic locus to Asia,” said Oli.

Pointing that the region must first focus on eliminating poverty to realize its full potential, Oli said that the BIMSTEC Poverty Plan of Action must be fully implemented.

Addressing ‘climate change’ he says, member states should build stronger ties to adapt and eliminate this menace.

“Strong political will, coupled with right mix of policies, institutions, and resources could ensure the success of BIMSTEC,” he said.

Coming to connectivity, Oli said connectivity of infrastructure & industries and connectivity of markets have the power to trigger multiplier effects to ignite innovation, spur growth and propel progress.

“I underline the importance of developing and operationalizing a Buddhist Circuit in the region to promote connectivity and tourism,” Oli said.

PM Modi’s Address at BIMSTEC
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit PM Modi said that all BIMSTEC member countries seek peace and prosperity and this is achievable only if there is connectivity across all aspects between members.

“Each of our countries seek peace, prosperity and happiness, but in today’s interconnected world, we cannot achieve this alone,” said PM Modi.

PM Modi called on member states representatives to take the BIMSTEC Coastal Shipment & Motor Vehicle Agreement-related process forward.

Also talking about regional cooperation with Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Thailand he said, “We are committed to expanding digital connectivity in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand and other countries.

Furthermore, creating an opportunity for the development of arts and culture, he said that they will set up a center for Bay of Bengal Studies in Nalanda University for conducting research on arts, culture, and maritime laws.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s Message:
Sheikh Hasina said that Dhaka’s role in hosting the BIMSTEC secretariat was a sign of the country’s commitment to regional cooperation.

Speaking about BIMSTEC’s success over the last two decades, Hasina said that the co-operation had a long way to go to achieve success through the adoption of a consolidated legal framework and substantial engagement for visible results.

She also highlighted the need for trade promotion and free trade area.

Bhutan’s Chief Justice Tshering Wangchuk’s Message:
Tshering Wangchuk identified robust partnership as a driving force for shared prosperity and achieving national and mutual goals of the region.

Wangchuk also emphasized on the need for enhanced co-operation in areas such as trade, regional integration, connectivity, security, people-to-people contact and climate change.

Myanmar Pres. Win Myint & Sri Lankan Pres. Maithripala Sirisena
Win Myint said cooperation and trade in energy was essential to fill the immense energy deficit in the region. He also urged member states for early finalization of the Free Trade Agreement, in a bid to promote trade and investment.

He shared similar views with Indian PM Modi on terrorism and extended active cooperation in fighting terrorism. However, he mentioned that the region is still in the grip of poverty.

Sri Lankan President Sirisena stated that all BIMSTEC states were facing similar political and social problems and enhanced collaboration could address these common problems.

Thailand PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s Message:
Chan-O-Cha said BIMSTEC could link South Asia with South East Asia. Saying that member countries should more on quality rather than quantity, he said that the co-operation could focus on five important areas, that is, trade, connectivity, people-to-people contact, security and science and technology.

He also stressed on early finalization of the Motor Vehicle Agreement.

BIMSTEC Summit Concludes with Kathmandu Declaration:

The Fourth BIMSTEC Summit ended today, with the signing of the 18-point Kathmandu Declaration.

The declaration includes issues like agricultural technology exchange, fight against terrorism, gradual reduction of climate change impacts, increased trade and investment and easing the visa processing for the BIMSTEC member states citizens.

Following the conclusion of the summit, the member states have agreed to connect the countries through highway, railway, air, sea and power-transmission line.

The member states have also firmly resolved to eradicate poverty from the region by 2030 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Similarly, they have pledged to stand against terrorism.

Conclusion:
We wish the countries luck for their endeavors and hope that they are able to provide timely support and co-operation for meeting the development goals of the BIMSTEC region.

Fourth #BIMSTEC Summit 2018 at a Glance

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What does the ECTS do?
The GPS-based tracking tool will drastically reduce transshipment time from 2-3 months to two weeks. This will beneficially result in huge savings for Nepal trade while also massively reducing the cost incurred by Nepal importers. Cargo tampering will also be tackled since the containers will be electronically sealed.

“It is a great development for movement of goods transshipped from Visakhapatnam to Birgunj rail route,” said DK Srinivas, Customs Commissioner.

The first rail to the Birgunj Inland Container Depot was flagged off from the Vishaka Container Terminal in the presence of VPT Deputy Chairman PL Haranadh, Division Railway Manager MS Mathur, CONCOR General Manager Yelvender Yadav, Representatives of Maersk Line India and VCTPL Additional CEO Anil Narayan.

Vishakapatnam has been declared as the ‘second-gateway’ for Nepal bound-cargo after Kolkata-Haldia.

Srinivas says that the port has managed 10,355 containers so far, for the land-locked country. The new system will also reduce the number of documents that Nepal importers need to produce for transshipment. This is a first-of-its-kind move in the country which allows filing of single transshipment declaration by the carrier.

Conclusion:
This new moves further strengthens the trade relations between Nepal and India. It also furthers the cause of the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit which will discuss trade between the two nations and herald the beginning of two important projects; Kathmandu-Raxaul rail link and additional gateways for bulk cargo movement.

Also Read:

• Indo-Nepal Trade: Nepal Seeks Preferential Access for Exports
• Nepal Gearing Up for Indo-Nepal Trade Meet

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The 16^th ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) began in Kathmandu on August 29, 2018.

The two-day 4^th BIMSTEC Summit, during August 30-31, 2018, is hosting dignitaries from the BIMSTEC member-countries such as India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Chaired by the Nepali Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, the first meeting of the BIMSTEC 2018 today is set to see statements by the Foreign/External Affairs Ministers of the BIMSTEC member countries.

The meeting will also see special presentations including the one by BIMSTEC Secretary General and other reports of the Special and 19th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM). 

Besides overall briefing of the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit, the meet will also finalize on the BIMSTEC Convention/MoU (making it ready-to-be-signed) and the Draft Kathmandu Declaration of the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit.

The first-day discussion also includes adoption of the Report of the 16^th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting, informed the Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister of State for External Affairs of India Dr VK Singh, Union Minister of International Cooperation of Myanmar Mr Kyaw Tin, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Sri Lankan State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake, Foreign Minister of Thailand Don Pramudwinai and Foreign Secretary of Bhutan Sonam Tshong are among the key country-wise delegations participating in the meeting.

Also Read: 

• Fourth BIMSTEC Summit: Nepal All Set, Delegates Arriving In!

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With less than 48 hours for the event, it seems that all logistics and managerial preparations have been taken care of.

K P Sharma Oli’s Media Interaction
PM Oli called for a meeting with major news media editors on August 28, 2018, to discuss regarding the BIMSTEC Summit. Newspapers have published front page articles of their meeting with PM Oli and have highlighted his statements.

In the course of his three-hour interaction with Nepali media, Nepal PM Oli told media to write ‘what they see’ but also pay attention to their articles so that people don’t look at them hopelessly.

Oli hinted that BIMSTEC could be an alternative to SAARC as the latter was not active as he had expected but retained that he preferred giving the required-push for SAARC.

A Meeting of Foreign Secretaries
BIMSTEC member states’ foreign secretaries will be meeting on August 29, 2018, ahead of the scheduled summit. Officials already arrived on August 28, 2018, and were warmly welcomed by Nepal Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

First, of the six top dignitaries are arriving in Kathmandu today. Meanwhile, Myanmar President Win Myint will reach Nepal at 2:45 PM.

Dignitary Arrival Schedule:

Wednesday, August 28, 2018

• Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena
• Bhutan Chief Justice & Chief Advisor to the Interim Government, Tshering Wangchuk

Thursday, August 30, 2018

• Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
• Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina Wazed
• Thailand Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-O-Cha

According to Nepal Foreign Affairs Ministry Deputy Chief of Protocol Ghanashyam Lamsal, either of the two Nepal Deputy Prime Ministers, Nepal Defense Minister Ishwor Pokhrel & Nepal Health and Population Minister Upendra Yadav will receive BIMSTEC member states’ heads and governments.

Agenda of the Meeting:

• Myanmar President Myint and Sri Lankan President Srisena will conduct bilateral discussions with Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli and will also meet President Bidya Devi Bhandari
• Similarly, Indian PM Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with Oli on August 31, 2018
• According to MoFA Assistant Spokesperson, Ram Babu Dhakal said, senior officials, will have the summit’s agenda finalized by the ministerial meeting
• This meeting will also bring to conclusion the Kathmandu declaration already agreed by member states
• A MoU will be signed at the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit for the establishment of BIMSTEC grid interconnection which will open doors for energy trade among member states
• Nepal and India will sign two MoUs for the Raxaul-Kathmandu link and the transportation of cargo between the two nations
• Nepal and Sri Lanka will sign a MoU on Cooperation between Nepal Institute of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka’s

Last but not the least, Nepal Army has been designated to oversee security preparations for the summit and have already begun patrol in Kathmandu.

Conclusion
With so many preparations and a good agenda at hand, the 4^th BIMSTEC Summit has a lot to look forward to. We hope that the member countries will hugely benefit from the decisions of this summit that has so much in the interest of its people.

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