Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

♦ Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumder and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Secretary General Indramani Pandey signed an agreement to establish the BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC) in Karnataka's Bengaluru. It aims to strengthen inter-grid connectivity across the region. 

♦ BEC will promote regional cooperation in the sector among India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand. 

♦ The BIMSTEC adopted a Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation in 2005.

♦ The MoU for establishing the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection has come into force in April 2019.

♦ The BIMSTEC is now working on finalising policies for transmission of electricity and for trade, exchange of electricity and tariff mechanism.

♦ A BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection Master Plan is also under discussion within the bloc.
 

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