NEW DELHI: Ahead of his arrival in Kathmandu for the 4th BIMSTEC Summit, PM Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that his participation in the summit symbolised India’s highest priority to its neighbourhood and its strong commitment to further deepening relationship with the “extended neighbourhood” in Southeast Asia .

On the margins of the BIMSTEC summit, Modi will also have bilateral meetings with the leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar , Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The meeting with Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina is scheduled for Thursday. “During the summit, I will have interactions with all the leaders of BIMSTEC to further enrich our regional cooperation, enhance our trade ties and advance our collective efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous Bay of Bengal region,” said Modi in his departure statement.

“The summit theme, ‘Towards a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region’, will enable us to shape a collective response to our common aspirations and challenges,” said Modi. Counter-terrorism is going to be an important focus area at the summit, official sources said.

“I am confident that the fourth BISMTEC summit will further consolidate the progress made thus far under BIMSTEC, and will chart the course for building a peaceful and prosperous Bay of Bengal region,” said Modi.

The PM also said he was looking forward to meeting his Nepal counterpart K P Sharma Oli and reviewing the progress made in bilateral ties since his last visit to Nepal in May this year.

