Bangkok: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who attended the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat here on July 17, said the discussion focused on strengthening resilience and coordination among members, reflecting the challenges that the world confronts today.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an economic and technical initiative which brings together the countries of Bay of Bengal for multifaceted cooperation.
Jaishankar said they explored new facets and activities to enter new areas of cooperation and food, health and energy security are common concerns. The minister said in a tweet that the common objective of members is to enhance growth and promote prosperity.
“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,” he said.
“Explored new facets and activities to enter new areas of cooperation. 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 added.
BIMSTEC Retreat was attended by Foreign Ministers of the member nations, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Sri Lanka. The BIMSTEC has rotating chairmanship.
The leaders agreed to meet more frequently to take these ideas further. BIMSTEC is a regional multilateral organisation. Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.
Jaishankar, who was in Jakarta earlier, attended the Foreign Ministers’ Meetings under the ASEAN framework. In Bangkok, he also participated in the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism on July 16. MGC is one of the oldest mechanisms of the lower Mekong region and is guided by India’s Act East Policy.
