3 March, Nay Pyi Taw (Myanmar): Prime Minister Sushil Koirala arrived here this afternoon, leading his high delegation in course of attending the Third Summit of the BIMSTEC being held Myanmar’s new capital Nay Pyi Taw from March 4.
Prime Minister Koirala landed at Nay Pyi Taw International Airport on a special aircraft via Yangon, the old capital of Myanmar. Upon arrival at airport, PM Koirala was welcomed by Myanmar’s Union Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security U Aye Mint.
High ranking government official of Myanmar, U Thurin Thant Zin, Chief Protocol of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, senior officials from Defense, Home and Foreign Ministries and Nepali Embassy in Nay Pyi Taw were at the airport to welcome PM Koirala.
The PM received a warm and hearty welcome from the Government of Myanmar and people there.
Scores of Burmese came to the street with the national flags of Nepal and Myanmar to welcome PM Koirala while he was on the way to Myat Taw Win Hotel, located nearly 20 kilometers away from the airport.
Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri–Lanka from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and ASEAN members Thailand and Myanmar are the members of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative of Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
The PM’s delegation is scheduled to move to the Summit Hall through a special aircraft today itself. The Summit is beginning from tomorrow. The commencement of the Summit will take place with the welcome speech by the President of Myanmar U Thein Sein and representatives from all the seven member states will address the Summit in an alphabetical order.
Similarly, consideration of the 16th Senior Officers’ Meeting Report, finalization of the text of the 3rd BIMSTEC Summit Declaration, formal endorsement to the appointment of the first BIMSTEC Secretary General Sumith Nakandala from Sri Lanka, adoption of the report of the 14th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting are the scheduled programmes of the Summit.
PM Koirala is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh and attend a dinner to be organised by the Myanmar’s President in his honour.Sharachchandra Bhandary/ RSS
