Foreign Ministers from the BIMSTEC member nations gathered in New Delhi for a two-day retreat meeting on Thursday to bolster cooperation among Bay of Bengal countries.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked the delegates participating from the member nations and said that the conversation covered the whole gamut of BIMSTEC collaboration.
Besides India, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.
"Discussed strengthening connectivity, institutional building, cooperation in trade and business, collaboration in health and space, digital public infrastructure, capacity building and societal exchanges, as well as weighing on the merits of new mechanisms," Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Jaishankar said he is confident that the deliberations will contribute to solid outcomes and practical collaborations at the forthcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand.
The sixth BIMSTEC summit is scheduled to be held in Thailand this year. The summit is set to seal an agreement on maritime transport cooperation which is expected to boost trade among the member states.
Jaishankar further said that the discussions will be helpful in infusing new energies, resources and commitment towards BIMSTEC cooperation.
"For India, BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its 'Neighbourhood First' outlook, the 'Act East Policy' and the 'SAGAR' vision, he said on the first day of the retreat.Each of these endeavours is being purposed with a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, where collaborative potential has long remained underrealised," he said.
Our challenge is to change that for the better, and to do so rapidly, he added.
He called on the seven-nation grouping to infuse new energies, resources and a fresh commitment to bolster cooperation among the Bay of Bengal countries.
The BIMSTEC foreign ministers had last met in a similar format in Bangkok in July last year. The charter of the grouping came into effect on May 20.