Bangkok, April 4 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday proposed linking India's UPI with the payment systems of the BIMSTEC member nations in an initiative to strengthen trade, industry and tourism in the regional grouping.

Addressing the sixth summit of the 7-nation group, the Prime Minister also proposed to set up a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and explore promoting trade in local currencies within the region. Prime Minister Modi offered his condolences for the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake on March 28 in Myanmar and Thailand and proposed establishing a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management in India to collaborate on disaster preparedness, relief, and rehabilitation.

The BIMSTEC Summit adopted the Bangk...