External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar engaged in a fruitful dialogue with his counterparts from the BIMSTEC region during a meeting held in Bangkok. The focus of the discussions was to strengthen “resilience and coordination” among the member nations, with the common objective of enhancing growth and promoting prosperity.
BIMSTEC: A Platform for Multifaceted Cooperation
Established in 1997, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) serves as an economic and technical initiative that brings together countries from the Bay of Bengal region. The participating nations include India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. With a combined population of 1.73 billion people and a GDP exceeding USD 4 trillion, BIMSTEC aims to facilitate multifaceted cooperation among its member countries.
Exploring New Dimensions and Areas of Cooperation
The BIMSTEC Retreat in Bangkok provided an opportunity for open and forward-looking discussions among the leaders. The meeting focused on strengthening resilience and coordination among the member nations, addressing the shared challenges faced today. The discussions also explored new facets and activities to enter into new areas of cooperation.
Common Concerns and Collaborative Solutions
Food, health, and energy security emerged as common concerns during the discussions. The leaders acknowledged that technology solutions could serve as subjects for collaboration and exchange of best practices. With a shared objective of enhancing growth and promoting prosperity, the participants agreed to meet more frequently to further develop these ideas.
Future Prospects and Regional Cooperation
Ahead of the BIMSTEC ministerial retreat, various issues related to the grouping were discussed by officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Bangladesh Foreign Secretary. The upcoming BIMSTEC summit, scheduled to be held in Thailand on November 30, will see Dhaka assume the chairmanship of the seven-nation grouping, with India taking on the role of secretary general.
Act East Policy and Mekong Ganga Cooperation
S Jaishankar’s visit to Bangkok was part of a six-day visit to two nations. Prior to the BIMSTEC meeting, he attended the Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Jakarta under the ASEAN framework, ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum. Subsequently, he participated in the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism in Bangkok. The MGC, guided by India’s Act East Policy, aims to foster closer connections among India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, which share the Ganga River and Mekong River basins.
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