Members of BIMSTEC — Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation — today agreed to accept Nepal and Bhutan as members of the group, in an effort to tap the region’s immense tourism potential.The inclusion was approved at the sixth meeting of the expert group here, where the year 2004 was declared ‘‘Visit BIMSTEC Year’’. A joint strategy to exploit tourism opportunities will be launched. Asked whether PM A.B. Vajpayee’s calling off his visit to Phuket for the BIMSTEC summit would affect this initiative, Special Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA, Rajiv Sikri, said the PM’s visit was put off to a later date by mutual consent. ‘‘We hope that the summit will now take place some time later this year at a mutually convenient date,’’ he said.Sikri also indicated that other steps were expected under the Open Skies Policy, as proposed by Naresh Chandra Committee on Civil Aviation reforms. ‘‘I think a lot of initiatives are now being thought with the private sector.’’
