Ajit Doval Chairs 5th BIMSTEC Security Meet, Calls For Stronger Regional Cooperation

NSA Ajit Doval chaired the 5th BIMSTEC Security Advisers' Meeting, where member states pledged stronger cooperation on terrorism, cyber and maritime security, disaster response and emerging threats.

NSA Ajit Doval chaired the 5th BIMSTEC Security Advisers' Meeting.

Source : ANI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• BIMSTEC NSAs met, strengthening regional security cooperation.
• Discussed counter-terrorism, cyber-maritime security, disaster management challenges.
• Adopted guidelines for maritime HADR and law enforcement interactions.

5th BIMSTEC National Security Advisers' Meeting: The 5th BIMSTEC National Security Advisers' Meeting, chaired by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Thursday, reaffirmed the member states' commitment to strengthening regional security cooperation, with discussions centred on counter-terrorism, cyber and maritime security, disaster management, and emerging security threats.

According to an official statement, NSA Doval hosted National Security Advisers and Heads of Delegations from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

"BIMSTEC bridges South Asia and Southeast Asia, two of the most dynamic regions of the Indian Ocean. Over the years, it has expanded cooperation across regional security, disaster management, transport and trade connectivity, technology, and people-to-people exchanges," the statement said.

During the meeting, BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey presented an overview of the organisation's security cooperation and briefed member states on progress across various sectors.

Terrorism, Cyber, Maritime Discussed In Meeting

The participating delegations discussed practical, outcome-oriented measures to combat terrorism and organised crime, strengthen cyber, maritime and energy security, improve regional connectivity, enhance disaster response mechanisms, and address emerging security challenges.

The member states also adopted guidelines for the maritime component of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), aimed at enabling faster and more effective relief operations across the region.

In addition, they endorsed guiding principles for interactions between maritime law enforcement agencies at sea. According to the statement, the framework is intended to improve predictability and promote safer maritime engagements among BIMSTEC nations.

With BIMSTEC set to mark its 30th anniversary next year, the participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to expanding collaboration, sharing expertise, strengthening institutional capacity, and building regional resilience against evolving security threats.

Doval Calls For Stronger Regional Cooperation

Addressing the meeting, Ajit Doval stressed the need for closer cooperation among BIMSTEC nations to tackle an increasingly complex global security environment shaped by geopolitical conflicts, technological disruptions and economic uncertainties.

"We are meeting today in the backdrop of a challenging global landscape. We are witnessing conflicts and geopolitical uncertainties. We are also facing multi-domain security threats, amplified by rapid technological advancements. Disruptions in global supply chains have also resulted in economic hardship for all our countries," Doval said.

"In this setting, there's an urgent need for us to collaborate, take decisive actions for our mutual benefit, and find solutions through mutual discussions and deliberations to the complex challenges that we all face," he added.

Highlighting BIMSTEC's strategic importance, Doval said the grouping connects South Asia and Southeast Asia, representing nearly 1.7 billion people—around 22 per cent of the world's population—with a combined GDP of nearly USD 5 trillion.

"We are united by the Bay of Bengal, not just geographically, but also through deep civilisational and cultural legacies that have evolved over a millennium of shared history," he said.

Established on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration, BIMSTEC initially began as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation). It now comprises seven member states after Myanmar joined in December 1997, followed by Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.