The 25^th Session of the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was held on 2 April 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Bhutanese delegation was led by Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Pema Choden.

This meeting brought together Foreign Secretaries from all Member States and each member presented comprehensive reports outlining progress and initiatives within their assigned lead sectors since the 24^thSOM held virtually in December 2024. Bhutan as the lead country for the Environmental and Climate Change, reported on the progress achieved in the sector and reaffirmed Bhutan’s steadfast commitment to the BIMSTEC process. The 25^th SOM was held in preparation for the 20^th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting to be held on 3 April 2025 and the 6^th BIMSTEC Summit to be held on 4 April 2025.

BIMSTEC was established on 6 June 1997 with the objective of creating an enabling environment for rapid economic development and accelerating social progress. The Member States are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand . Bhutan joined BIMSTEC in 2004