At the 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting, which was conducted virtually, India recently reiterated its commitment to regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. The goal of this December 19, 2024, summit was to strengthen member state cooperation under the framework of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
In line with its Neighbourhood First Policy, Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), and the Act East Policy, the Indian delegation underlined its goal of a strong and prosperous BIMSTEC region. This illustrates India’s calculated strategy for strengthening economic cooperation and regional ties.
The summit covered important topics such connection, security, sustainable growth, and people-to-people interactions while reviewing progress since March 2023. A number of documents detailing collaboration strategies and alliances with outside organizations were completed.
The BIMSTEC Secretariat’s 2025 budget was also approved at the session, underscoring a shared commitment to promoting regional cooperation in a number of areas.
Before being renamed, BIMSTEC was founded on June 6, 1997, as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation). Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal are its current seven members. With an emphasis on areas including commerce, technology, energy, transportation, tourism, and more lately, counterterrorism and climate change, the group seeks to enhance economic cooperation among these countries.
Although collaboration has decreased since independence, the Bay of Bengal region has historically been a center of integration. By addressing common interests and issues among member states, BIMSTEC aims to restore this connectedness. BIMSTEC’s sector-driven approach places it as a key role in boosting regional stability and economic growth in the Indo-Pacific setting, despite obstacles like political unpredictability and delayed implementation progress.
India’s strategic significance in promoting regional cooperation in a challenging geopolitical environment is highlighted by its reaffirmation of commitment at the 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting.
