COTABATO CITY—Special Envoy to the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East-ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin Haji Mulia visited the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City on Tuesday, July 26.
Interior and Local Government Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo personally received the delegate on behalf of Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim.
The visit aimed to strengthen partnership between the Bangsamoro region and Sabah through the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional cooperation initiatives including the sectors of trade, investment, toursim, transportation and telecommunications, agriculture, and education and socio-cultural ties.
In a statement, Sinarimbo said, “we have had very fruitful discussions on a range of vital issues of partnership and cooperation for both our regions and countries which will propel further development and progress for both.”
Referring to the Special Envoy whom he has a long-established relationship, Sinarimbo shared the diplomat’s visit served an avenue to discuss matters pertaining to revitalizing the BIMP-EAGA.
Established in 1994, BIMP-EAGA is a cooperation initiative established to spur development in remote and less developed areas in the four participating Southeast Asian countries. It has been actively engaged in the region along with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to advance multi-faceted opportunities and development.
Other BARMM key officials who welcomed the Sabah delagates were Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform Mohammad Yacob, Minister of Transportation and Communications Dickson Hermoso, Minister of Trade Investment, and Tourism Abuamri Taddik, and Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority Amil Abubakar. (Abdullah Matucan/BIO)
