DECLARATION ON THE ADMISSION OF
THE UNION DF MYANMAR AND THE RE-NAMING OF BIST-EC

The Minister of state for Foreign Affairs of the People 's Republic of Bangladesh, the Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, the Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand

HAVING CONSIDERED the communication of the Union of Myanmar expressing its desire to become a Member State of the Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIST-EC);

HAVING REGARD to the BIST-EC Declaration of 6 June 1997;

NOTING that the Union of Myanmar has agreed to subscribe to the aims, principles and purposes of BIST-EC;
HAVING REGARD to the unanimous expression by Member States of their agreement to admit the Union of Myanmar;

NOTING that the Union of Myanmar has been accepted as a Member State and has participated in BIST-EC activities since 25 August 1997;

HEREBY formally welcome the Union of Myanmar into the grouping.

IN PURSUANCE THEREOF, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand do hereby declare that BIST-EC will be re-named as BIMST-EC (Bangladesh - India - Myanmar - Sri Lanka - Thailand Economic Cooperation) from the date of signing of this Declaration.

DONE at Bangkok on the Twenty-second day of December in the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-seven.

For the People's Republic of Bangladesh

H.E. Mr. Abul Hasan Chowdhury
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

For the Republic of India

H.E. Mr. A.N. Ram
Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs

For the Union of Myanmar

H.E. U Nyunt Swe
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

For the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

The Hon. Mr. Lakshman Kiriella
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

For the Kingdom of Thailand

H.E. M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

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