India hosted the first meeting of the Governing Board of BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC) on 27^th February, 2023 at Shangi-La Hotel. Bengaluru. Shri Ajay Tewari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power, and chairperson of the Governing Board of the BEC, welcomed the delegates from BIMSTEC member countries and gave a brief background about ongoing cooperation among BIMSTEC countries.

There was active participation from all BIMSTEC countries viz. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand along with BIMSTEC Sectt. All member states appreciated the opportunity to have been able to convene after a long hiatus.

India’s “Neighbourhood first” and “Act East” Policies were highlighted during the meeting. A snapshot of areas where BIMSTEC countries could learn from each other was also presented.

As the Host of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre, India made a presentation on establishing the BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC) in India. It was conveyed to the member countries that the BEC will be housed in the premises of the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bengaluru.

Shri. Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, CEA was nominated as the first Executive Director of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre. The Meeting considered and finalized the Note on “Host Country Agreement between the Government of Republic of India and the BIMSTEC Secretariat”. The same was recommended to the Seventh Meeting of BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee for consideration.

Considering the current energy scenario in BIMSTEC region, the Meeting recommended to add the additional following areas under the specialized Wings of BEC:  (a) Cyber Security,  (b) Green Hydrogen (c) Energy Transition

The member countries appreciated India’s efforts for organizing the first meeting of the Governing Board of BIMSTEC Energy Centre. All countries also expressed that such meetings of the BIMSTEC may happen more frequently.

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AM/IG