2024-07-10 00:13:31
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional alliance of seven countries in South and Southeast Asia. On July 11, the meeting of the foreign ministers of the allied countries will be held in the capital of India, New Delhi.
The member countries of the organization are – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. This alliance of countries bordering the Bay of Bengal works for regional cooperation in various fields.
The sixth summit of BIMSTEC will be held in September this year in Thailand. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend.
Last year, BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers met in Bangkok, Thailand. Last June, leaders of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles were in New Delhi to attend Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand were members of this alliance which started in 1997. In 2004, its membership stood at seven. BIMSTEC was established with strong support from New Delhi when SAARC lost its momentum.
It should be noted that the current Secretary General of BIMSTEC is Indra Mani Pandey. He is an Indian diplomat. Earlier, diplomats from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan held the alliance’s top posts at various times. The permanent secretariat of BIMSTEC is located in Dhaka.