NAY PYI TAW, July 12 (Xinhua) -- A high ranking Myanmar agricultural official on Friday called for enhanced agricultural cooperation between member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
Despite different level of development between BIMSTEC members, there exist similar challenges, and in order to eliminate poverty and enable equitable economic development for the long term, cooperation in agriculture should be enhanced, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Aung Thu told a ministerial meeting of the BIMSTEC in Nay Pyi Taw.
By enhancing cooperation in agriculture-related sector, the BIMSTEC countries could achieve food and nutrition sufficiency and safeguard welfare of the growers, he said.
The countries' combined gross domestic product stood 2.7 trillion U.S. dollars and the subregional group's population accounted for 22 percent of the world, he added.
Project-wise discussions on agricultural cooperation between BIMSTEC countries were made at the ministerial meeting.
Myanmar is assuming the leadership for agricultural sector under the BIMSTEC program which was agreed by member countries in December 2017.
BIMSTEC groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Myanmar joined the subregional group in 1997.
