KATHMANDU- Home Minister Sudhan Gurung has left for India to attend the home ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
Minister Gurung left Kathmandu for New Delhi at 1:00 pm, according to the Home Ministry. He is scheduled to address the BIMSTEC event tomorrow. The meeting will be attended by ministers responsible for internal security from the member states—Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The meeting will discuss regional cooperation on pressing issues such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, terrorist financing, disaster safety and cybercrime. The Home Ministry further informed that documents and issues addressed by various BIMSTEC security mechanisms would be endorsed, followed by the issuance of a declaration.
Nepal is reportedly prioritising issues such as reducing risks from natural hazards, strengthening early warning systems, and promoting regional cooperation in integrated rescue and relief efforts.
This is Home Minister Gurung’s first official visit abroad since he assumed office.
The high-level mechanism on security, an important initiative for cooperation under BIMSTEC, is meeting in India for the first time. The mechanism was envisioned during the fourth BIMSTEC Summit held in 2018.
The Home Minister is also scheduled to hold meetings with his counterparts from the member states. He will return home on October 14.