President calls for greater cooperation among BIMSTEC members for regional resilience

• Says despite challenges, the future of BIMSTEC countries is clear and strong 
• Points to tourism as a great potential for all BIMSTEC nations 
• Littoral nations must work together to mitigate threats to maritime region and states
• Suggests to share intelligence information among members to ensure regional security

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday called on for greater cooperation between member States of the Bay of Bengal, not only for economic recovery, but also for greater regional resilience in the long term, as the region has become increasingly important for global connectivity and trade.

The President made these remarks delivering the welcome address and country statement for the BIMSTEC Summit via video conferencing from the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday.

He also highlighted that international and intra-regional cooperation should be enhanced to rebuild the economy that is in trouble due to the current global crisis and to enrich the people affected by poverty.

“Despite the challenges ahead, the future of BIMSTEC countries are clear and strong,” President Rajapaksa said.

This year’s Summit was hosted by Sri Lanka and chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The BIMSTEC Senior Officers’ Meeting and the Cabinet Meeting was held on 28 – 29 March at the BMICH, Colombo, representing Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organisation that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. 

Being a sector-driven grouping, cooperation within BIMSTEC had initially focused on six sectors in 1997 (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries) and expanded in 2008 to incorporate agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation, counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people-to-people contact and climate change. 

Subsequently, following steps to rationalise and reorganise sectors and sub-sectors, cooperation was reorganised in 2021 under the following sectors and sub-sectors led by the respective Member States.

Outlining that striving to increase trade and investment activities within the region is important, President Rajapaksa said tourism, which is finally starting to re-emerge after two years of near inactivity, holds great potential for all BIMSTEC nations. 

“Fostering intra-regional tourism should therefore be a pillar in BIMSTEC’s agenda,” he added.

He also said the international shipping lines traversing these waters help keep the engines of the global economy running. “It is essential that littoral nations work together to ensure that threats to these waters, as well as to regional states, are curtailed,” President Rajapaksa stressed.  

The President explained the need for increased intelligence sharing and inter-governmental and inter-agency cooperation amongst BIMSTEC member countries and added that the security of the region can be enhanced for the benefit of all nations through this.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a grant of $ 1 million will be provided for the successful functioning of the BIMSTEC Secretariat.

The Indian Premier said the time has also come to formulate the necessary legal frameworks to increase connectivity and cooperation among the countries of the Organisation. He also emphasised the importance of developing the agricultural and other sectors by adding value to the products.

Global pandemic as well as the rising prices of essential commodities have affected the livelihoods of the people in the region. 

To address these issues, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that everyone should join hands to work together. Premier Hasina also said that all member states should join hands to fully implement the organisation’s 14 sectors of cooperation.

Pointing out the need to improve digital connectivity in the region, the Prime Minister of Bhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering called for the provision of free or affordable internet access to the public.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation to combat terrorist activities, human trafficking and money laundering.

Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said food security should be given priority in the face of ongoing challenges.

Thailand is ready to assist member states in promoting sustainable and environment-friendly tourism, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said.

Adoption of the BIMSTEC Charter, signing of several legal agreements and handing over of the chairmanship of BIMSTEC to Thailand for the years 2022-2023 also took place during the Summit.