BIMSTEC - INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
News: India hosts BIMSTEC Foreign
Ministers amid raging Myanmar crisis
What's in the news?
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The seven-member Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) should find
solutions to the regional challenges within itself, External Affairs Minister
S. Jaishankar addressing the first BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ retreat held
here.
Key takeaways:
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The meeting assumes significance as it is being
held in the backdrop of major developments in neighbouring Myanmar where the military
junta has been receiving battlefield
setbacks against dozens of Ethnic
Armed Organisations (EAOs).
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This is the first time such an event was organised
since the Charter of BIMSTEC came into
effect on May 20, which marked a landmark development in the evolution of
the organisation.
BIMSTEC:
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The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a multilateral regional
organization established with the aim of accelerating
shared growth and cooperation among littoral and adjacent countries in the
Bay of Bengal region.
Historical Backdrop:
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BIMSTEC was founded as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic
Cooperation) in June 1997 with the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration.
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Myanmar joined later in 1997, leading to the renaming of
the organization to BIMST-EC.
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In 2004, the organization adopted its current name,
BIMSTEC, when Nepal and Bhutan
became members.
Members:
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It comprises seven
member countries - five from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal,
and Sri Lanka) and two from Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thailand).
Secretariat:
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The BIMSTEC Secretariat is in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Institutional
Mechanisms:
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BIMSTEC Summit
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Ministerial meeting
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Senior Officials Meeting
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BIMSTEC Working Group
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Business Forum & Economic Forum
Cooperation:
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Cooperation within the BIMSTEC had initially
focused on six sectors in 1997
(trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries) and expanded
in 2008 to other areas.
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In 2021, a reorganization led to each of the Member
States leading certain sectors.
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India focuses on security, along with
counterterrorism and transnational crime, disaster management and energy.
Organizational
Structure:
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BIMSTEC is distinct from other regional groupings
such as SAARC or ASEAN due to its sector-driven approach.
Working Mechanism:
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Before the adoption of the BIMSTEC Charter at the
current summit (2024), the organization did not have a formal document or organizational
architecture.
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Following the pandemic, the leaders of the BIMSTEC
nations met virtually on 30 March 2022 under the chairship of Sri Lanka and
adopted the charter.
Head Level Summits - Held every two years.
Ministerial Meetings - Foreign and Commerce Ministers meet annually to discuss trade and
economic affairs.
Senior Officials
Meetings - Held twice a year to monitor
activities.