Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung to visit New Delhi on Oct 12 for first BIMSTEC Home Ministers' meet
Synopsis
For the first time since the idea was floated at the 2018 Kathmandu summit, BIMSTEC home ministers will sit across the table on 13 October in New Delhi — and Nepal's Sudan Gurung, on his debut foreign trip in office, is expected to hold bilateral talks with India's Amit Shah on the sidelines. The agenda: cross-border crime, trafficking, and the security architecture of a seven-nation Bay of Bengal bloc.
Key Takeaways
Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung will travel to New Delhi on 12 October 2026 for the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers' meeting on 13 October .
The meeting, eight years in the making since a 2018 Kathmandu summit decision, will cover cross-border crime , drug trafficking , and human trafficking .
This is Gurung's first foreign trip since his government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah , was formed on 27 March 2026 .
Gurung is expected to hold bilateral talks with Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on the sidelines.
Home secretaries of all seven BIMSTEC nations will meet before the ministerial session to prepare declarations.
In July 2026 , the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs' meeting in New Delhi adopted maritime humanitarian and law enforcement guidelines.
Nepal's Home Minister Sudan Gurung is scheduled to travel to New Delhi on 12 October 2026 to attend the first-ever meeting of Home Ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), set for 13 October, according to a senior official. The visit marks Gurung's first overseas trip since taking charge following the formation of the government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah on 27 March 2026.
What the Meeting Will Cover
The ministerial gathering will bring together home ministers from all seven BIMSTEC member states — Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Ananda Kafle, spokesperson for Nepal's Home Ministry, confirmed the schedule, noting that the agenda is expected to cover cross-cutting security concerns including cross-border crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking among member nations.
Preceding the ministerial meeting, home secretaries of BIMSTEC nations will convene to prepare agreements to be endorsed at the ministerial level — a procedural step that underlines the structured, outcome-oriented design of the summit.
Bilateral Meetings on the Sidelines
Gurung is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with counterparts on the sidelines, including Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, according to Nepali officials. A meeting with the Nepali diaspora in India is also reportedly being considered, though the minister's detailed itinerary — including any formal engagements with Indian leadership — had not been finalised as of 6 October 2026.
Background: BIMSTEC Security Architecture
The decision to hold BIMSTEC Home Ministers' meetings traces back to the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit, held in Kathmandu on 30-31 August 2018, where regional leaders resolved to strengthen coordination among law enforcement, intelligence, and security agencies. The summit also agreed to continue BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs' meetings as a parallel track focused on counterterrorism and transnational crime.
Most recently, in July 2026, the 5th Meeting of BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs was convened in New Delhi. That meeting adopted the BIMSTEC Guidelines for the Maritime Component of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, intended to enable member states to mount coordinated relief operations rapidly. It also endorsed Guiding Principles on the Conduct of Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies during Interactions at Sea, aimed at improving predictability and safety in maritime engagements across member states.
Why This Meeting Matters
This is the first time BIMSTEC home ministers are meeting as a formal grouping — a milestone eight years in the making since the 2018 Kathmandu summit. The Bay of Bengal region faces overlapping security challenges: drug and human trafficking networks that span multiple borders, rising cyber threats, and the ever-present risk of maritime security incidents. For India, hosting the meeting reinforces its role as the region's anchor security partner. For Nepal, Gurung's participation signals continuity in Kathmandu's engagement with multilateral frameworks even as the Balendra Shah government consolidates domestically.
With the home secretaries' preparatory meeting set to precede the ministerial session, observers will watch closely for what concrete agreements — if any — are announced on 13 October.
Point of View
But the real test will be whether this meeting produces enforceable commitments on trafficking and cross-border crime, or merely a communiqué. For Nepal, Gurung's expected bilateral with Amit Shah carries weight beyond protocol: Kathmandu has long sought a more structured security dialogue with New Delhi, and a new government making it its first foreign engagement is a deliberate signal of priorities.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Nepal's Home Minister Sudan Gurung visiting India?
Gurung is travelling to New Delhi on 12 October 2026 to attend the first-ever BIMSTEC Home Ministers' meeting, scheduled for 13 October. The meeting will focus on regional security issues including cross-border crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking among the seven member states.
What is BIMSTEC and which countries are members?
BIMSTEC — the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation — is a seven-nation regional grouping comprising Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It focuses on multi-sectoral cooperation including trade, security, energy, and disaster management.
Will Sudan Gurung meet Indian Home Minister Amit Shah?
Gurung is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC ministerial gathering, according to Nepali officials. A meeting with the Nepali diaspora in India is also being considered, though the full itinerary had not been finalised as of 6 October 2026.
When was the BIMSTEC Home Ministers' meeting format first decided?
Leaders at the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu on 30-31 August 2018 resolved to hold regular Home Ministers' meetings to strengthen coordination among law enforcement and security agencies. The 13 October 2026 meeting is the first such gathering since that 2018 decision.
What agreements were reached at the last BIMSTEC security meeting?
At the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs' meeting held in New Delhi in July 2026, member states adopted the BIMSTEC Guidelines for the Maritime Component of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and endorsed Guiding Principles on the Conduct of Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies during Interactions at Sea.
