Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka, Admiral Professor Jayanath Colombage in his opening address as the Chair stated that the Bay of Bengal has today taken centre stage in
international politics due to its economic and geo-strategic importance. He stated that the ancient trade links of the Bay of Bengal have created a synergy among all Member States
of the BIMSTEC. He also stated that the region shares a common cultural ethos, inspired by all the great religions of the world, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and
Islam and said that the civilizations in the BIMSTEC countries dates back to thousands of years. He further stated that as a result, this group remains well connected and are natural
partners in progress, which is why BIMSTEC as an organization has been able flourish and expand over 25 years of its existence.

Foreign Secretary Colombage also stated that the economic disruption caused by the COVID -19 pandemic has shown that resilience matters more than ever. He noted that
although the pandemic has bruised and in the case of some, even battered economies in the BIMSTEC countries challenging their growth patterns, the BIMSTEC region has
remained relatively resilient and opportunities for economic growth are promising. He called on BIMSTEC to seize the opportunities for new growth patterns and accelerate
activities of trade and investment within this region.

High level delegates of the BIMSTEC countries discussed matters of regional importance during the meeting. They steered the discussions to facilitate the Ministerial Meeting
which is scheduled to be held on 29 March 2022.

 At the conclusion of the meeting, Sri Lanka handed over the chairmanship of the meeting to Thailand. the incoming Chair.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo