“China-aligned Nepalese Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Narayan Kazi Shrestha refuses to accept the BIMSTEC organisation in place of SAARC

Nepalese Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Narayan Kazi Shrestha

Kathmandu (Nepal) – Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kazi Shrestha, who is inclined towards China, has stated that Nepal does not accept the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) organization in place of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), the old organisation of South Asian countries. India, observing the actions of Pakistan, is pushing for BIMSTEC instead of SAARC. Pakistan is not a member of BIMSTEC. This statement has been made by Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister on the sidelines of the ongoing SAARC and BIMSTEC conferences. Nepal is a member of both SAARC and BIMSTEC. Due to the active presence of BIMSTEC, SAARC meetings have not been held since 2016, mainly because of India’s tough stance. As a result, Nepal’s Foreign Minister is unhappy because Nepal is still the chair of SAARC. The SAARC Secretariat is located in Kathmandu, while the BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka.

BIMSTEC (Credits : Times of India)

SAARC countries (Credits : Slideshare)

Regarding BIMSTEC, Shrestha commented on the proposal brought to the Nepalese Parliament, stating that SAARC has become inactive and ineffective. We do not see BIMSTEC as an alternative to SAARC. Nepal has taken steps to reactivate SAARC.”