6th BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok on April 4 to focus on trade, security, and regional cooperation
DHAKA: The 6th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is set to take place on April 4 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme 'Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC,' according to a statement from the BIMSTEC Secretariat.
The summit comes three years after the 5th Summit, held virtually in Colombo in 2022, and will be preceded by a meeting of BIMSTEC Senior Officials on April 2 and a meeting of BIMSTEC Foreign or External Affairs Ministers on April 3.
The summit aims to bolster cooperation among the seven member states — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand — in addressing shared security and developmental challenges.
The agenda includes the adoption of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit Declaration, which outlines the leaders' vision and directives, and the Bangkok Vision 2030, a roadmap for future collaboration among member states.
Key agreements to be signed include the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation, designed to improve cargo and passenger transport across the Bay of Bengal and enhance trade and travel. Memoranda of understanding (MoUs) are also set to be signed with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), signifying the beginning of new developmental partnerships.
Additionally, the summit will adopt the Rules of Procedure for BIMSTEC Mechanisms to complement the BIMSTEC Charter and solidify the institutional framework for regional collaboration. It will also present the Report of the Eminent Persons Group on the Future Direction of BIMSTEC, which concluded its recommendations in September 2024 after six meetings and consultations with stakeholders. Member states have already begun implementing these steps.
In the context of a rapidly changing global political and economic environment, the summit is expected to reinforce BIMSTEC's role as the primary regional body in the Bay of Bengal, fostering cooperation to address security and sustainable development challenges.
Bringing together five South Asian and two Southeast Asian nations, BIMSTEC stands poised to emerge as a dynamic regional entity.
Since its inception in June 1997, BIMSTEC has held five summits—in Bangkok (2004), New Delhi (2008), Nay Pyi Taw (2014), Kathmandu (2018), and Colombo (2022). The upcoming summit is expected to play a critical role in shaping its future agenda across seven sectors: Agriculture and Food Security, Connectivity, Environment and Climate Change, People-to-People Contact, Science, Technology and Innovation, Security, and Trade, Investment and Development, as well as eight sub-sectors, including the Blue Economy and Disaster Management.
By RSS/ANI
