On 2 April 2025, the first day of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit and Related Meetings, Thailand, as BIMSTEC Chair, hosted the 25ᵗʰ Session of the BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Bangkok. Mrs. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and SOM chair, chaired the Meeting while Ms. Rujikorn Saengchantr, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs, attended as Thailand’s Senior Official.

The Meeting deliberated on important documents and decisions in preparation for the 6ᵗʰ BIMSTEC Summit to be held on 4 April 2025. The meeting also took note of progress made under the BIMSTEC’s seven sectors of cooperation, namely: (1) Trade, Investment and Development; (2) Environment and Climate Change; (3) Security; (4) Agriculture and Food Security; (5) People-to-People Contact; (6) Science, Technology, and Innovation; and (7) Connectivity. As Lead Country on Connectivity, Thailand highlighted the importance of the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation and the completion of the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway, and presented the “Bangkok Vision 2030” based on the concept of Prosperous, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC (‘PRO BIMSTEC’), which will serve as the theme in driving forward the agenda of BIMSTEC. The Meeting further discussed administrative and financial issues of BIMSTEC, considered important documents, and noted reports on various BIMSTEC Centres. At the Meeting, all BIMSTEC members expressed solidarity with Myanmar and Thailand following the recent earthquake.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), founded in 1997, comprises seven Member States, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. BIMSTEC aims to promote economic development and resiliency through regional cooperation.