India’s Indra Mani Pandey Takes Charge as BIMSTEC Secretary General
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th Jan. Experienced diplomat Indra Mani Pandey has assumed the role of secretary general for the seven-nation BIMSTEC, marking the first time an Indian official has held this important position within the regional group.
Pandey, a member of the 1990 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), previously served as India’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva before taking on this new role.
In addition to India, BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Pandey officially became the fourth secretary general of BIMSTEC at its secretariat in Dhaka, succeeding Bhutan’s Tenzin Lekphell. He will hold this prestigious position for a three-year term.
Upon his arrival in Dhaka, Pandey was warmly welcomed by Abdul Motaleb Sarker, Director General (SAARC and BIMSTEC), at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.
In a brief address to officials of the BIMSTEC secretariat, Pandey expressed his commitment to working with renewed energy to bring the member states’ ambitious vision for expanding and deepening cooperation to fruition. He thanked the member states for entrusting him with this responsibility and requested their continued support and guidance.
India has been actively working to make BIMSTEC a dynamic platform for regional cooperation, as initiatives under SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) have faced obstacles and have not progressed as desired.
Throughout his more than three-decade-long diplomatic career, Pandey has also served as additional secretary in charge of the disarmament and international security division in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He has held various other positions, including ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman, deputy ambassador of India to France, and consul general of India in Guangzhou, China.
Pandey has also served in different capacities at Indian Missions in Cairo, Damascus, Islamabad, and Kabul.
