Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 4 presented a comprehensive 21-point action plan during the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.
- The plan reflects India’s leadership in revitalizing BIMSTEC, aligning with the country’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies, and complementing India’s broader Indo-Pacific vision.
- The 6th BIMSTEC Summit, themed “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC,” took place on April 4, 2025, in Bangkok.
About BIMSTEC
- BIMSTEC, established in 1997, has significantly accelerated its activities in recent years, particularly under India’s leadership. Originally formed as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) in 1997, it became BIMST-EC after Myanmar joined, and BIMSTEC in 2004 with Nepal and Bhutan.
- Following PM Modi’s invitation to BIMSTEC leaders for a retreat in Goa during the BRICS Summit in 2016, the group has gained renewed momentum.
- India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka are member countries of BIMSTEC. Only Bangladesh (on its north), Myanmar (on its east), and Sri Lanka (on its south) have a coastline on the Bay of Bengal.
Significance
- BIMSTEC provides a common platform for countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia at a time when the SAARC is more or less defunct.
- Landlocked countries, Nepal and Bhutan, may also benefit from access to the Bay of Bengal as a result of better ties with BIMSTEC countries.
- India’s foreign policy initiatives, including Neighbourhood First, Act East, the MAHASAGAR vision, and the Indo-Pacific strategy, have breathed new life into BIMSTEC, creating opportunities for greater cooperation across the region.
- BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and the Bay of Bengal can be showcased as open and peaceful, contrasting with China’s behaviour in the South China Sea.
(Sources: Indian Express and DD News)
