Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has described the 18th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting “productive and congenial.”

He thanked his Sri Lankan counterpart and chairperson of the ministerial meeting Prof G.L Peiris for the “excellent arrangements.”

Dr Jaishankar also exchanged pleasantries with his Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen and the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister at the venue.   

“Concluded a productive and congenial BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting. Thank you FM Prof G. L. Peiris for the excellent arrangements,” he tweeted sharing few photos. Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar led the Indian delegation at the meeting.

Dr Jaishankar invited his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Momen to visit India at an early date. 

"Nice to catch up with FM A.K.Abdul Momen of Bangladesh," he tweeted.

The eighteenth ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was held in the Sri Lankan capital city on eve of the 5th BIMSTEC Summit scheduled for Wednesday.

Sri Lanka Foreign Minister and Chairperson of the 18th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting delivered opening remarks highlighting enormous potential that BIMSTEC holds in vast areas and laid emphasis on stronger cooperation for the benefit of whole region. 

Secretary (East) Mashfee Binte Shams, Additional Foreign Secretary (SAARC and BIMSTEC) Md. Shamsul Haque, Rector, Foreign Service Academy Asad Alam Siam, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Sri Lanka Tareq Md Ariful Islam, Director (SAARC and BIMSTEC) Md. Aminul Islam Khan, Director (FMO) Md. Emdadul Islam Chowdhury, among others, joined as Bangladesh delegation members led by Foreign Minister Momen.