• Nepal is the current chair of BIMSTEC (BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation)
• . The main focus of summit will be to increase connectivity between BIMSTEC nations including roads, airways and transmission lines. It will also give top priority connectivity and poverty alleviation.

BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation: BIMSTEC is the sub-regional group of seven countries in South Asia and South East Asia lying in littoral and adjacent areas of Bay of Bengal constituting contiguous regional unity.

• It was established on 6 June 1997 through Bangkok Declaration.
• It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh. India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka from South Asia and Myanmar, Thailand from South East Asia are its members.
• It was in news as fourth edition of Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be held in Kathmandu, capital city of from 30 to 31 August, 2018.