President says BIMSTEC region should be protected from terrorism, religious extremism and drugs

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (March 30) said the Bay of Bengal region economies have become the engines of growth in global economy, while stressing the need for protecting BIMSTEC region from the threats of terrorism, religious extremism and narcotics.

His remarks came during the 5th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) taking place in Colombo.