Foreign Ministers from BIMSTEC member states meet PM Modi

New Delhi, July 12: Foreign Ministers from BIMSTEC member states made a joint call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. The discussions were productive, focusing on enhancing regional cooperation across diverse areas such as connectivity, energy, trade, health, agriculture, science, security, and people-to-people exchanges. Prime Minister Modi emphasized BIMSTEC's vital role as a catalyst for economic and social growth.

Reaffirming India's commitment to a peaceful, prosperous, resilient, and safe BIMSTEC region, PM Modi highlighted its importance to India’s Neighbourhood First and Look East Policies, as well as the SAGAR vision for Security and Growth for All in the Region. He also expressed India’s full support for the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit to be held in Thailand this September.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar hosted his counterparts for the 2nd BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat in New Delhi on 11-12 July 2024. The retreat welcomed Foreign Ministers from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. This retreat offered an informal setting for the ministers to explore ways to expand and deepen cooperation in sectors like security, connectivity, trade, and investment within the Bay of Bengal region.

The inaugural BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat was previously held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 17 July 2023. BIMSTEC, which stands for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, brings together seven countries from South and Southeast Asia for multifaceted cooperation.

In his opening speech at the retreat, Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar welcomed the foreign ministers, noting the significance of the BIMSTEC Charter, which came into effect on 20 May this year. He stressed the need for collaborative solutions amid evolving global and regional developments. Dr Jaishankar emphasised that for India, BIMSTEC represents the convergence of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ outlook, ‘Act East Policy,’ and the SAGAR vision, all focused on harnessing the underrealized collaborative potential of the Bay of Bengal.