EAM Jaishankar Attends BIMSTEC Meeting in Bangkok, Discusses Ways to Improve “Resilience & Coordination” Among Members

GG News Bureau

Bangkok, 17th July. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a fruitful discussion with his BIMSTEC counterparts on Monday, and the leaders focused on developing “resilience and coordination” among them with the common goal of boosting growth and prosperity.

The BIMSTEC initiative, which was established in 1997, brings together the countries of the Bay of Bengal for multifaceted cooperation. The retreat would deliberate on how to deepen and strengthen the BIMSTEC agenda.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional alliance made up of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. The seven countries have a combined population of 1.73 billion people and a gross domestic product of more than USD 4 trillion.

“Just concluded a productive BIMSTEC Retreat in Bangkok. An open and forward-looking discussion among colleagues. Focused on strengthening resilience and coordination among BIMSTEC members, reflecting the challenges that we all confront today. Explored new facets and activities to enter new areas of cooperation,” Jaishankar tweeted.

“Food, health and energy security are common concerns. Technology solutions can be subject for both collaboration and exchange of best practices. Our common objective is to enhance growth and promote prosperity. Agreed to meet more frequently to take these ideas further,” he tweeted.

On July 6, MEA Secretary East Saurabh Kumar and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen met in Dhaka to discuss various issues concerning the Dhaka-based BIMSTEC grouping ahead of the grouping’s ministerial retreat.

Dhaka is slated to become the grouping’s new chair in December, when India is set to become its secretary general following the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand on November 30.

Jaishankar began a six-day visit to two countries on July 12.

On July 13-14, he attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum in Jakarta.

On July 16, he flew from Indonesia to Bangkok to attend the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism.

MGC is one of the region’s oldest mechanisms, and it is directed by India’s Act East Policy.

The MGC is an initiative launched by India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to strengthen ties between the six member nations that share the Ganga and Mekong River basins.