BIMSTEC, SAARC (notes)

BIMSTEC:

• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
• BIMSTEC free trade agreement is under negotiation (c. 2018), also referred to as mini SAARC.

Members:

Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Myanmar
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Thailand

• 6 June 1997 (first name: BIST-EC)
• Nepal and Bhutan: Feb 2004
• 31 July 2004 name changed to BIMSTEC
• Headquarter: Dhaka, opened by 13 Sept 2014

Objective:

• technological and economic cooperation among south Asian and southeast Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. (14 sectors)

1. Trade & Investment
2. Transport & Communication
3. Energy
4. Tourism
5. Technology
6. Fisheries
7. Agriculture
8. Public Health
9. Poverty Alleviation
10. Counter-Terrorism & Transnational Crime
11. Environment & Disaster Management
12. People-to-People Contact
13. Cultural Cooperation
14. Climate Change

Chairmanship: 

• Nepal (2014 - till date)

Summit 

• 31 July 2004 (Thailand)
• 13 Nov 2008 (India)
• 4 March 2014 (Myanmar)
• Oct 2016 (India)

SAARC

The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka (Bangladesh), on December 7 and 8 in 1985 AD; established South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, endorsed SAARC Charter.

SAARC secretariat is in Kathmandu

Members (8)

• Bangladesh, 
• India, 
• Nepal, 5th largest country in SAARC (already orhanized 1st, 8th and 19th South Asian Games)
• Pakistan, 
• Bhutan,
• Sri Lanka, 
• Maldives,
• Afghanistan, 3rd April 2007

Observer Country (9): Australia, China, EU, Japan, Iran, Mauritius, Myanmar, S. Korea, USA

After 3 conference:

• Asian Relation Conference, New Delhi 1947
• Bagulo Conference, Philippines 1950
• Powers Conference SriLanka 1954

Regional Centers

• Ag. information: Dhaka
• TB: Ktm
• Information: Ktm.
• Documentation: New Delhi
• Energy: Islamabad
• Metrological: Dhaka
• Disaster Mangement Centre: Islamabad
• Forestry Center- Colombo

Logos have been used for educational purposes