Thai commerce ministry will host the protocol-signing ceremony for the Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC) Agreement, according to reports.

India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as new members of the sub-regional grouping -- Bhutan and Nepal--signed the FTA at a meeting in February in Phuket. Bangladesh did not sign the deal at the time.

Thai Commerce Minister Watana Muangsook and Myanmar Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Thu and ambassadors from the other five countries will sign the protocol.

Free-trade negotiations among the BIMST-EC countries are expected to begin next month and wrap up by December 2005, to ensure the FTA's projected implementation in July 2006.