Next BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand on 4 September: Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said the next Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be held on 4 September in Bangkok, Thailand.

Briefing the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the recently held second BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat, he said Bangladesh will take responsibility as the next chair of BIMSTEC there.

The 2nd BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat was held in New Delhi on 11-12 July and saw the participation of foreign/external affairs ministers from all member states, with the exception of Nepal, which was represented by its foreign secretary.

Foreign Minister Hasan led the Bangladesh delegation in this Retreat.

Secretary General of the BIMSTEC Indra Mani Pandey has recently said the next Summit will have some significant outcomes and it will set a direction for the future of the BIMSTEC.

The BIMSTEC secretary general hoped the upcoming Summit would add new vigour to regional cooperation within BIMSTEC.

"I believe BIMSTEC has a bright future. All the members are truly committed to making sure BIMSTEC becomes a success story," he said while making a presentation on BIMSTEC activities at its headquarters in Dhaka recently.

The Summit will adopt a Bangkok Vision 2030 which would be an overarching kind of document and give direction to the organisation, he said, adding that it would be one of the significant outcomes.

The primary objective of the Retreat was to engage in open and candid discussions on areas of cooperation within BIMSTEC to find solutions to the regional challenges and to brainstorm new ideas and suggestions for the future direction of the organisation.

Given the various global and regional developments, the meeting (retreat) assumed greater significance and set the stage for enhanced regional cooperation for the benefit of the people of the region.

The Retreat was divided into two sessions. During the first session, the foreign ministers introduced several new ideas aimed at strengthening the BIMSTEC process.

They discussed strategies to ensure the success of the upcoming 6th BIMSTEC Summit and followed up on discussions from the 1st BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers meeting held in Bangkok on 16 July 2023.

Among the key proposals was the establishment of Centers of Excellence in member states, focusing on agriculture, disaster management, and maritime transport. India announced support for cancer research and treatment, while Sri Lanka proposed the inclusion of kidney disease.

Additionally, India announced the issuance of e-visas for medical treatment for patients from all member states. The ministers also stressed the involvement of the private sector in trade and investment promotion and the promotion of young entrepreneurs.

They emphasised the importance of connectivity and cybersecurity for the region's socioeconomic development. Countering transnational crimes including the trafficking of narcotics and illegal arms came up as a common priority.

In the second session, the foreign ministers discussed their expectations from the forthcoming Summit and emphasised the need for an action-oriented declaration to convey a message to the region's people that the leaders are committed to strengthening regional cooperation by infusing new energy and resources.

On the sidelines of the retreat, the foreign minister held bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of India and Myanmar, discussing issues of mutual interests.

During his meeting with his Indian counterpart, Foreign Minister Hasan discussed with S Jaishankar the issue of sending a technical team for the conservation and management of the Teesta River, a decision which was taken at the meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 22 June.

The foreign minister also urged Jaishankar to ensure a smooth supply of essential commodities.

During his meeting with his Myanmar counterpart, the foreign minister emphasised the early repatriation of the over 1.2 million forcefully displaced Myanmar nationals.

Myanmar's foreign minister announced readiness to resume the repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals.

On the second day, the BIMSTEC foreign ministers called on the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

During the discussions, the foreign minister highlighted effective cooperation in trade and investment promotion, disaster management, food and energy security, climate change, public health, connectivity, and the blue economy.

He urged member states to follow Bangladesh's example of banning fishing during the breeding season to address the depletion of the fish population in the Bay of Bengal.

The Retreat reinforced the commitment of BIMSTEC member states to foster stronger and more meaningful regional cooperation and realize the shared vision of the people and leadership of the region.

As the region looks forward to the forthcoming 6th BIMSTEC Summit, the outcome of the Retreat is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future direction of BIMSTEC, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.