BIMSTEC 6th summit: Key Observations and facts.

Speaking at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Modi said, “BIMSTEC serves as a vital bridge between South and Southeast Asia, and is emerging as a powerful platform for advancing regional connectivity, cooperation and shared prosperity.” At the sidelines of 6th BIMSTEC summit that took place in Thailand multiple MOUs were signed by India with Thailand. Those all details are already covered by several media outlets and given by Press Information Bureau (PIB). Let's try to cover some other interesting observations and the facts about BIMSTEC.

What is BIMSTEC ?

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that was founded on 6 June 1997, with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. Originally referred to as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organization has since evolved into BIMSTEC, which includes seven member states. Myanmar joined the initiative on 22 December 1997, followed by Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004. On 6 June 1997, representatives from the governments of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand convened in Bangkok to sign the 'Declaration on the Establishment of the Bangladesh–India–Sri Lanka–Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIST-EC).'

The declaration was signed by Abul Hasan Chowdhury, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh; Saleem Iqbal Shervani, the Minister of State of India; D.P. Wickremasinghe, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka; and Pitak Intrawityanunt, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. This document later became known as the 'Bangkok Declaration.'

The primary objective of this regional group is to foster economic collaboration among the countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal. Following Myanmar's inclusion on 22 December 1997, the group was renamed BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation). With the addition of Nepal and Bhutan during the sixth Ministerial Meeting in Thailand in July 2004, the organization was officially renamed the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) at the First Summit in Bangkok on 31 July 2004.

BIMSTEC has experienced a gradual institutional evolution. In 2014, following a decision made at the Third BIMSTEC Summit, the BIMSTEC Secretariat was established in Dhaka, Bangladesh, creating a structured framework to enhance and deepen cooperation among member states.

As a sector-focused organization, BIMSTEC's collaboration began in 1997 with an emphasis on six key sectors: trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries. In 2008, this focus broadened to include additional areas such as agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation, counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people-to-people interactions, and climate change. In 2021, efforts were made to streamline and restructure these sectors and sub-sectors, resulting in a reorganization of cooperation.

Key Observations

PM Modi met Bangladesh government Chief Advisor Yunus, where he directly conveyed India’s deep concerns about the safety of Bangladesh’s Hindus and other minorities to Yunus and said he expects the Interim government to ensure their security and thoroughly investigate instances of atrocities against them. Further their was a sense in a meeting that the government conveyed to the Bangladeshi officials that, stop the rhetoric that harms the relations between both the countries.

However, Yunus’ spokesperson Shafiqul Alam said in the Facebook post that when Yunus raised Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of Hasina, the “response was not negative”. Alam also claimed Modi had said: “We saw her [Hasina’s] disrespectful behaviour towards you [Yunus].” These comments were outright rejected by many in New Delhi, of course no official statements though.

On the Bangladesh issue, India has so far not responded to the request made by Bangladesh’s interim government last year for the extradition of Hasina, who is living in New Delhi in self-exile since she fled Dhaka last August after the collapse of her government due to an alleged conspiracy of USA and Pakistan (Read here). Indian officials have said the Bangladesh side has not completed several legal formalities related to the extradition request.

Further, PM Modi's held first meeting with Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing since the coup in February 2021. Modi advocated for the prompt reinstatement of the democratic process in Myanmar through "inclusive and credible elections." This marks the first occasion on which India has officially urged for elections in Myanmar at such a senior level. Additionally, Modi emphasized the need for inclusive dialogue to resolve the ongoing civil conflict in Myanmar. He also pledged to increase assistance following the earthquake that resulted in the loss of more than 3,000 lives. India has already launched operation Brahma. (Read here)

PM Modi also met Nepal's PM KP Sharma Oli, he expressed India’s commitment to its relationship with Nepal, stating, "Had a productive meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Bangkok. India attaches immense priority to relations with Nepal. We discussed different aspects of India-Nepal friendship, especially in sectors like energy, connectivity, culture, and digital technology." He also highlighted the positive outcomes from this year's BIMSTEC Summit, which addressed issues like disaster management and maritime transport.

6th Summit declaration

The 6th Summit, themed “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC”, focused on fostering collaboration among the member States to address their shared security and developmental challenges. It provided a new impetus to regional organization to realise the goal of a “Prosperous, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC”. Following are the Key Outcomes of 6th BIMSTEC Summit:

• Adoption of Declaration of 6th BIMSTEC Summit, which reflects the vision of the Leaders as well as their decisions and directives for future cooperation;

• Adoption of BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, the first ever Vision Document of BIMSTEC, which provides a comprehensive and practical roadmap for future cooperation amongst the member States to achieve the vison of Prosperous, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC;

• Signing of Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation. It’s a significant step towards strengthening regional partnerships to enhance maritime connectivity, enabling more trade and travel amongst the member States;

• Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between BIMSTEC and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which institutionalises future partnership between IORA and BIMSTEC in key areas of shared interest.

• Signing of Memoranda of Understanding between BIMSTEC and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which formalizes partnership between UNODC and BIMSTEC in areas of shared priorities.

• Adoption of Rules of Procedure for the BIMSTEC Mechanisms. The Rules of Procedure, together with the BIMSTEC Charter, lay a strong foundation of institutional framework for regional cooperation under BIMSTEC, ensuring greater efficiency and consistency;

• Adoption of the Report of Eminent Persons Group on the Future Direction of BIMSTEC, which contains a number of recommendations to reform and revitalize BIMSTEC;

• Endorsement of BIMSTEC Leaders’ Joint Statement on the Impact of Earthquake which struck Myanmar and Thailand on 28 March 2025. It expresses Leaders’ condolences, solidarity, and commitment to supporting the affected countries. It also reaffirms their commitment to collaborate in regional disaster management and to strengthen response mechanisms for natural disasters.

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