NATIONAL CAPITAL: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host his counterparts from BIMSTEC member countries at a two-day retreat beginning Thursday in the national capital. The retreat will provide an opportunity for foreign ministers to discuss ways to deepen cooperation in various areas, including security, connectivity and trade, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together seven countries of South and Southeast Asia for multifaceted cooperation. India has been making concerted efforts to make BIMSTEC a vibrant platform for regional cooperation as the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) initiative was not taking off due to various reasons. Apart from India, BIMSTEC comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.
“The retreat will provide an opportunity for foreign ministers of BIMSTEC countries to discuss ways to expand and deepen cooperation in various areas, including security, connectivity, trade and investment, people-to-people contacts, etc, in an informal setting,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. region and the Bay of Bengal littoral zone,” the MEA said. The first edition of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat was held in Bangkok on July 17, 2023. The sixth BIMSTEC summit will be held in Thailand this year. The summit is expected to seal an agreement on maritime transport cooperation which is expected to boost trade among member countries.
