Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung will visit India for the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers meeting, focusing on regional security and cross-border crime….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung is scheduled to visit India on October 12 to attend the first meeting of BIMSTEC home ministers in New Delhi on October 13.
The BIMSTEC Home Ministers meeting will focus on regional security issues including cross-border crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
The visit will be Gurung’s first foreign trip since he took office following the formation of the government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah on March 27.
The meeting will bring together home ministers from the seven BIMSTEC member states: Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
“Home Minister Gurung is scheduled to travel to New Delhi on October 12 to participate in the first meeting of the BIMSTEC Home Ministers,” Home Ministry spokesperson Ananda Kafle said.
Kafle said the ministerial meeting was expected to address a range of cross-cutting security concerns affecting member states. These include cross-border crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
Gurung’s detailed itinerary has not yet been finalised, including whether he will hold meetings with Indian leaders, Kafle said.
Nepali officials said Gurung is expected to hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting. He may also meet Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, while a meeting with members of the Nepali diaspora in India is also possible.
What will the BIMSTEC Home Ministers meeting discuss?
The BIMSTEC Home Ministers meeting comes as member states seek to strengthen regional cooperation on security and address threats that cross national borders.
Security cooperation is an important part of BIMSTEC’s regional agenda. The security sector covers counterterrorism and transnational crime, energy and disaster management, according to the BIMSTEC website.
At the fourth BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu on August 30-31, 2018, leaders expressed their determination to strengthen cooperation among law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies. They also agreed to establish meetings at the home minister level.
The leaders further decided to continue meetings of BIMSTEC national security chiefs as part of efforts to improve coordination on counterterrorism and transnational crime.
According to Kafle, the home ministers’ meeting will be preceded by a gathering of BIMSTEC home secretaries. The officials are expected to prepare agreements that could be announced following the ministerial meeting.
What did BIMSTEC security chiefs discuss in New Delhi?
In July, the fifth meeting of BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs was held in New Delhi, bringing together national security advisers and heads of delegations from member states.
The participants discussed measures to combat terrorism and organised crime, strengthen security in the cyber, maritime and energy domains, improve connectivity, enhance disaster management and address emerging security threats.
The meeting adopted the BIMSTEC Guidelines for the Maritime Component of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. The guidelines are intended to help member states conduct relief operations more efficiently during emergencies in the region.
The participants also endorsed guiding principles for maritime law enforcement agencies during interactions at sea. The principles are aimed at improving predictability and promoting safety during maritime engagements between member states.
