This Sector is led by Myanmar.

This sector of cooperation was first raised and discussed in the 1st BIMSTEC Summit. It was proposed that cooperation on agriculture be added as one of the priority sectors, yet the Prime Minister of Thailand suggested that it be joined with the existing Fisheries sector instead. Thailand offered to lead this newly enlarged sector as well as offered to extend credit lines to BIMSTEC member countries for importing agricultural products from Thailand.

However, in the 8th Ministerial Meeting, the meeting agreed that the agricultural sector and the Fisheries sector were both independently significant; therefore, it was concluded that the two sectors were to be separated. At the 9th Ministerial Meeting held in India in August 2006. Myanmar has become the lead country of this newly Sector when meeting welcomed and accepted the offer of Myanmar.

Myanmar hosted the 1st Expert Group Meeting of BIMSTEC on Agricultural Cooperation on 15-16 March 2007 at Rangoon and India hosted the 2nd Expert Group Meeting on 24-26 April 2008 at New Delhi.

FOCAL POINTS