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KATHMANDU, Aug. 24--- The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) can act as a vibrant regional organization to deepen cooperation in the field of railroad connectivity, trade, tourism, transit and energy among BIMSTEC member states, experts said here on Friday. The experts made the remarks during a talk program titled "BIMSTEC: Connecting South and Southeast Asia" organized by the Centre for South Asian Studies, a Kathmandu-based think tank. Prakash Sharan Mahat, the former foreign minister of Nepal, said that BIMSTEC member states should make collective efforts to enhance cooperation in multiple areas including railroad connectivity, trade, tourism, transit and energy thereby benefiting the people of Bay of Bengal region. Former Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Madhuraman Acharya, opined that BIMSTEC should focus its activities on core areas of regional economic integration and connectivity in the days to come as the Bay of Bengal region is considered as the least developed region in the world. "With population of 1.6 billion and a combined GDP of 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars, the Bay of Bengal region is globally important. It is already among the fastest growing regions in the world," the former foreign secretary said while highlighting the importance of BIMSTEC in deepening regional cooperation. Dinesh Bhattarai, a former ambassador of Nepal to the United Nations, was of the view that BIMSTEC member states can closely work together in multiple sectors including religious tourism, security, migration, physical connectivity, among others. | 
