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Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has stressed the need for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to uphold the spirit of regional unity and collective cooperation.

Addressing the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting held today as part of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, she called for unity and collective cooperation to strengthen BIMSTEC as a platform that represents the shared aspirations of the citizens of the Bay of Bengal region.

"BIMSTEC symbolizes a dazzling rainbow representing two dynamic regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia- each of its seven colors illuminating rich civilizations, cultures, histories, and ecological diversity. It should make efforts to unlock the potential for economic prosperity of the citizens of this region,” the Minister said.

Minister Rana reiterated Nepal's commitment to regionalism and multilateralism in a peaceful, equitable, and inclusive manner under the leadership of the United Nations. "We are actively engaged in all regional and global forums to strengthen peace, security, and sustainable development. We are also proud to be the largest peacekeeping troop contributor to the United Nations."

She also reaffirmed Nepal's commitment to the charter, principles and objectives of BIMSTEC since becoming a member in 2004. Highlighting challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, environmental degradation and the devastating effects of pollution, she urged immediate efforts for infrastructure enhancement, disaster early warning systems implementation and involvement of local communities in environmental protection.

She welcomed India’s proposal to initiate establishing BIMSTEC Center of Excellence in Disaster Management, expressing confidence that it would complement regional efforts in controlling and combating natural disasters while leveraging AI to address all these challenges.

Minister Rana further highlighted BIMSTEC's leading role in promoting regional peace, unity and environmental sustainability in the Bay of Bengal region and beyond. Calling for transformation into a strong partnership platform and a strong regional organization, she underscored the need for cooperation, regional unity and political will to align BIMSTEC with current global trends. 

Similarly, she suggested many key initiatives, like expediting the establishment of BIMSTEC Free Trade Area, implementing EPG Report and projects identified in BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity, advancing BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection, and fully operationalizing regional centers and entities.  

Additionally, she called for focusing on leveraging synergies and complementarities among Member States through collaborative strategies for resource utilization, workforce mobilization, policy alignment, trade and transit facilitation, energy cooperation, investment promotion, technology transfer, regional infrastructure development and integrated Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for e-governance services.

She also suggested cooperation between educational institutions in the region, public awareness and treatment of maternal and child, and mental health issues, and capacity building to combat diseases caused by climate-related complications.

Prioritizing gender equality and women's empowerment, she urged member states to share successful strategies for mainstreaming women in governance, development and conflict management to address historical injustice and deliver on promises of a better world. Dr Rana called for collaboration among development partners, and regional and international organizations to promote culture and tourism, alleviate poverty, and seek solutions to climate-related complications through people-to-people ties.

The meeting was attended by foreign ministers of BIMSTEC member states.

The U.S. slapped a 26% reciprocal tariff on India in a setback to the South Asian country's expectation of getting relief from President Donald Trump's global trade policy that has unnerved world markets for weeks, Reuters reported.

The reciprocal tariff will be effective from April 9, according to a statement from the White House.

Trump's Wednesday announcement on India was part of his wider plan to impose a 10% baseline tariff on all imports from April 5 and higher duties on certain other countries including 34% on China and 46% on Vietnam.

"They (India) are charging us 52% and we charge almost nothing for years and years and decades," Trump said at the White House while announcing the reciprocal tax.

The duty of 26% was based on tariff and non-tariff barriers including currency manipulation, the Trump administration said.

India imposed "uniquely burdensome" non-tariff barriers, the removal of which will increase U.S. exports by at least $5.3 billion annually, the White House said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The sweeping new tariffsannounced Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump were met initially with measured reactions from key trading partners, highlighting the lack of appetite for a full-fledged trade war, Associated Press reported.

Trump presented the import taxes, which he calls “reciprocal tariffs” and range from 10% to 49%, in the simplest terms: the U.S. would do to its trading partners what he said they had been doing to the U.S. for decades.

“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” he said. “But it is not going to happen anymore.”

The president promised that “Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country.” He framed it not just as an economic issue, but a question of national security that threatens “our very way of life.”

Financial markets were jolted, with U.S. stock futures down by as much as 3% early Thursday and Tokyo’s market leading losses in Asia. Oil prices sank more than $2 a barrel and the price of bitcoin dropped 4.4%, according to the Associated Press.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has vowed stringent action against those involved in violent attacks on journalists and media houses during the March 28 demonstration at Tinkune, Kathmandu. Fair investigation into the violent incidents would find those behind the atrocities, he added.

Home Minister Lekhak made such a pledge during a meeting with a team led by General Secretary of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Ram Prasad Dahal, on Wednesday. The FNJ delegation submitted a memorandum to Minister Lekhak. 

It was an anarchic and violent demonstration orchestrated by those sans ideology, Lekhak reminded, adding that the anarchic mob was intended to perpetrate crimes. "The mob crossed every limit, thereby putting journalists and media houses at the receiving end. The Nepal government is serious about it," he stressed.

He shared information on relief assistance to be provided to the family of victim journalist Suresh Rajak and another injured journalist.

On the occasion, FNJ General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal requested the Home Minister to investigate well the atrocities meted out on media houses and death of an on-duty journalist during the demonstration, and to take a stringent action on culpable ones.

Information on it was shared by the Home Minister's secretariat.