To attend the sixth BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit in Bangkok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel to Thailand from April 2–4, 2025. After attending the 2019 ASEAN Summits, Modi is making his second trip to Thailand for this upcoming summit.
India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand are the seven BIMSTEC members, and the summit’s goal is to promote regional cooperation among them. The summit, which will be chaired by Thailand, will concentrate on realizing the BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, which calls for a “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open” region by 2030.
The BIMSTEC Summit Declaration and the Report of the Eminent Persons’ Group on the Future Direction of BIMSTEC are two important deliverables anticipated from the summit.
Energy security, trade and economic development, disaster management, and security cooperation are just a few of the topics that will be discussed. With a combined GDP of about USD 4.7 trillion, the region represented by BIMSTEC is important economically as well as demographically, with over 1.7 billion people.
The summit is especially significant because it comes after a period of political unrest in Thailand that caused the event to be postponed. In addition, given recent tensions between India and Bangladesh after a change in leadership, there is excitement about possible bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, especially between Modi and Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh’s interim government.
Through BIMSTEC initiatives, the summit offers India a significant chance to improve regional cooperation and fortify its ties within Southeast Asia.