London-based artist Kiran Rai who was in Sri Lanka recently met Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare and Kandyan Heritage, S. B. Dissanayake at the grand opening of the BIMSTEC at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, last week.
The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) commenced under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena. Delegates from BIMSTEC member states - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand attended this meeting.
Addressing the gathering, President Sirisena said, a strong cooperation program was needed to eradicate poverty in the region and to promote prosperity. The President emphasized the need for commitment by everyone to eradicate poverty from human society, not just in the region, and recalled that the responsibility lies with the world’s powerful nations to ensure that no one will starve in the world.