Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to boosting cooperation across diverse sectors in the BIMSTEC region on Friday.
Prime Minister Modi hoped that the efforts would make a positive difference in the member states of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
With India leading, the PM's focus on the Neighbourhood First policy, Act East policy, MAHASAGAR vision, and Vision for the Indo-Pacific imparts added dynamism to the group.
Under India's leadership and direction, the BIMSTEC agenda has expanded manifold. The BIMSTEC area of work has been categorized into seven segments, with each country leading one--India leads the Security vertical. The other verticals are Trade, Investment and development (Bangladesh), Environment and Climate (Bhutan), Agriculture and Food Security (Myanmar), people-to-people (Nepal), Space and Technology and Innovation (Sri Lanka), and Connectivity (Thailand).
India leads the security pillar of BIMSTEC. It has worked to create a strong legal framework to fight terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crimes in the region.
India has also placed special emphasis on enhancing connectivity--physical, digital, and energy. India hosts the BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru. The Centre coordinates the work towards creating a BIMSTEC regional grid interconnection. This is in line with PM's 'One World, One Sun, One Grid' vision.
India is working to help BIMSTEC contribute to the global sustainability agenda. India hosts regular disaster management exercises among member countries. This aspect of the group's collaborative work has been highly resonant due to the region's vulnerability to natural disasters. India also hosts the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in Noida.
Under India's leadership, BIMSTEC has seen a spurt in activities to promote people-to-people ties and foster regional integration. PM has placed a high priority on engaging the youth, promoting culture, and nurturing the environment. These aspects are being given due focus in BIMSTEC.
(ANI)