Nepal unlikely to host fourth 'Bimstec' summit this year

Nepal is unlikely to host the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) Summit this year.

Busy schedule of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and other issues like post-quake reconstruction and constitution implementation are the reasons why Nepal will not be hosting the Bimstec meeting this year, said officials here.

Nepal in 2014, during the third Bimstec Summit in Myanmar, committed to hold the fourth meeting.

"It is difficult to manage time of all heads of government/state, hence we might not be able to host the Bimstec Summit this year," the Kathmandu Post quoted a senior foreign ministry official as saying.

Meanwhile, the decision on the new venue and date is likely to be decided during the bloc's foreign secretary-level meeting in August in Kathmandu.

Nepal is the current chair of the regional body whose secretariat is in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.

Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand are the members of the body that works on 14 sectors including trade and investment, technology, energy, transportation and communication, among others.

Apart from the political crises in the country, Prime Minister Oli reportedly has a packed calendar this year with commitment to attend at least four international meetings and convention after June.

He will participate in the annual UN General Assembly in New York in September.

After returning from New York, he is scheduled to attend the Asian Cooperation Dialogue meeting in Thailand, Bangkok in October.

He will also be attending the eighth Brics Summit to be held in India.

In November, PM Oli will fly to Pakistan to attend the 19th Saarc Summit.