India's Modi arrives in Nepal for BIMSTEC Summit

Reuters - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (August 30) was accorded a ceremonial welcome after arriving in Nepal for a two-day BIMSTEC summit. Later, Modi, along with leaders of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member countries met Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari. BIMSTEC comprises of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand. The theme of the summit is-"Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region'. On the sidelines of the summit, Modi will hold bilateral talks with the leaders of the member nations. Established in 1997, BIMSTEC consists of 1.5 billion people and has a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion.