‘India committed to cooperation’
NEW DELHI: India remains committed to further building the momentum of regional cooperation under the framework of BIMSTEC and make it a stronger, vibrant and result-oriented grouping, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. In an address at a virtual meeting of the regional grouping, he also mentioned that the BIMSTEC convention on cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking has come into force last month.
He noted that the member states have finalised the ‘BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity’ which is expected to be adopted at the fifth BIMSTEC summit. “It would be an important step towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people of our region for better connectivity and integration,” Jaishankar said at the ministerial meeting.
Besides India, BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.
India has been making concerted efforts to make BIMSTEC a vibrant forum for regional cooperation as initiatives under
SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) were not moving forward for a variety of reasons.
“I am glad to learn that Sri Lanka plans to hold the fifth BIMSTEC Summit soon, which shall take important decisions to make the organization more focused and also more result-oriented,” he said.
BIMSTEC over the years, Jaishankar said, has emerged as a promising sub-regional grouping with growing strategic and economic interests of the member states as well as of the international community in the Bay of Bengal region. “India remains committed to further building the momentum of regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework and make the organisation stronger, vibrant, more effective and result-oriented,” he said.