Sri Lanka anticipates operationalization of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo - PM

The 6th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), along with the 20th Ministerial Meeting and the 25th Senior Officials Meeting, was held from 02nd to 04th April 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme “Prosperous, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC.” The Summit was chaired by the Kingdom of Thailand, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Sri Lanka delegation to the Summit which was led by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, included Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra, and Senior Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. In her statement, Prime Minister Amarasuriya conveyed her deep appreciation to the Government of Thailand and to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for hosting a successful Summit and for their warm hospitality.

The Prime Minister emphasized during the summit the importance of enhanced regional collaboration and reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment as the Lead Country in the area of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). She also highlighted Sri Lanka’s anticipation for the operationalization of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo, the statement added.

Further, the Prime Minister underscored the importance of the newly finalized Plan of Action on Human Resource Development, aimed at equipping citizens with critical skills for future challenges. She called for its swift implementation, emphasizing human resource development as central to long-term growth and regional prosperity.

The Prime Minister also pointed to untapped potential in trade, economic cooperation, and connectivity, urging openness and knowledge-sharing to resolve long-standing issues. Advancing physical, digital, and energy connectivity was noted as essential to accelerating BIMSTEC’s broader cooperation goals, according to the Ministry.

At the 20th Ministerial Meeting, Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra signed the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Cooperation on behalf of Sri Lanka, a step toward enhanced maritime collaboration. Additional MoUs were signed with IORA and UNODC, reinforcing BIMSTEC’s international partnerships, it said.

The Summit concluded with the adoption of several key documents, including the 6th BIMSTEC Declaration, the BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, the Rules of Procedure for BIMSTEC mechanisms, the Report of the Eminent Persons Group on BIMSTEC’s future direction and a Leaders’ Joint Statement expressing solidarity with Myanmar and Thailand following the 28th  March 2025 earthquake.