EAM Jaishankar attends BIMSTEC meeting in Bangkok

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Ministers’ Retreat has started in Thailand's capital city Bangkok on Monday, July 17. Notably, BIMSTEC is an economic and technical initiative which brings together the countries of the Bay of Bengal for multifaceted cooperation. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted, "Just started the BIMSTEC meeting in Bangkok." With the tweet, he also posted a group photo with other countries leaders. The Indian external affairs minister has been on a six-day visit to two nations that began on July 12. 

BIMSTEC and its importance 

The agenda for the meeting will be focusing on ways to further deepen the BIMSTEC countries and strengthen the organisation. The cooperation is a regional multilateral organisation. The areas of discussion would circle around the rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region. Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. BIMSTEC connects the South, Southeast, and ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. 

Jaishankar attends ASEAN 2023

Before Thailand, Jaishankar had visited Jakarta where he attended the EAM attended the Foreign Ministers’ Meetings under the ASEAN framework in the format, ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum on July 13-14. During the meeting, the Indian foreign minister held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries.

India’s engagement with this ASEAN-centered regional architecture has marked India’s commitment to ASEAN  focusing in the Indo-Pacific. After successfully concluding his visit to Indonesia, he went to participate in the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism on July 16.  MGC is one of the oldest mechanisms of the lower Mekong region and is guided by India’s Act East Policy.​ 

Jaishankar has co-chaired the 12th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting in Bangkok along with FM of Lao PDR Saleumxay Kommasith, on July 16. The points that have been discussed in the meeting are as follows;

• Prioritizing the implementation of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. 
• Expedite the conclusion of the Motor Vehicles Agreement between the three countries. 
• Established an MGC Business Council to take forward economic cooperation.
• Explored new areas of development partnership, including through Quick Impact Projects. 
• Expand the ambit of exchanges in agriculture, science and technology and water resource management. 
• Take forward culture and tourism, and deepen our museum-based cooperation.