DHAKA, July 01 (V7N) – Bangladesh and Nepal today underscored the importance of strengthening regional cooperation, particularly within the frameworks of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). This emphasis was made during a courtesy call by Nepal's Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ghanshyam Bhandari, on Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.

Ambassador Bhandari congratulated Foreign Secretary Siam on his new responsibilities, setting a cordial tone for the discussions. The meeting delved into various areas of bilateral cooperation, including trade, commerce, hydropower, and fostering greater people-to-people contact.

Foreign Secretary Siam highlighted the excellent friendly relations existing between Bangladesh and Nepal and stressed the need for enhanced collaboration to unlock untapped potential in their partnership. A significant area of ongoing cooperation is hydropower, with Nepal recently beginning to export 38 megawatts (MW) of hydropower to Bangladesh via Indian transmission lines since June 15, 2025. This trilateral arrangement is a landmark in regional energy collaboration and is expected to continue until November, aligning with Bangladesh's peak summer demand and Nepal's monsoon-fed hydropower generation.

Looking ahead, Foreign Secretary Siam informed Ambassador Bhandari that he is prepared to welcome his Nepali counterpart for the next round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), which is scheduled to be held in Dhaka at a mutually convenient time later this year. Both SAARC and BIMSTEC aim to promote economic growth, social development, and regional cooperation, with BIMSTEC often seen as a more pragmatic platform given the challenges faced by SAARC.

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