Bangkok/New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said today that India’s North-Eastern region is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with its network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines.
Addressing the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the EAM said that completion of the Trilateral Highway will connect India’s North East all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and become a veritable game-changer.
He said that India is aware of its special responsibility in regard to BIMSTEC, as it has the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, of almost 6500km. India also shares borders with five of the BIMSTEC members, and connects most of them, and also provides much of the interface between the Indian Sub-continent and ASEAN.
“We are conscious that our cooperation and facilitation are an essential pre-requisite for the smooth flow of goods, services and people in this larger geography. Keeping this geo-strategic factor in mind, we have devoted increasing energies and attention to the strengthening of BIMSTEC in the last decade. We also believe that cooperation is an integrated outlook, not one subject to cherry picking.”
Jaishankar said that BIMSTEC represents the trifecta of three of India’s crucial initiatives: the Act East policy, the Neighbourhood First approach and the MAHA-SAGAR outlook, and is also on the pathway to its Indo-Pacific commitment.
“That our bilateral relationships with individual BIMSTEC members are also strong and steadily growing is a further source of strength,” the EAM said, adding, “At the end of the day, what we seek to create is a strong structural framework with a substantial relevance to our people.”
For this, he said that the bloc should have a real commitment towards enhancing the growth of BIMSTEC. He also said that members should deepen collaboration through power grid connections, digital infrastructure, business activities, maritime and land transport, blue economy or health, food and energy security, and creation of Centres of Excellence.
He said BIMSTEC is a shared endeavour with an ambitious purpose and said their activities on culture and arts, on sports, in addressing the hopes of the youth, in exploring the potential of space, or in sharing best practices of diplomacy are important. “There is much we can gain through interaction and sharing.”
He said the BIMSTEC nations need to deal effectively with cyber security, counter-terrorism, human trafficking, illegal narcotics trade and other associated activities.
“The reality is that the world is moving to an era of self-help. Every region needs to look out for itself, whether it is in food, fuel and fertilizer supply, vaccines or speedy disaster response. We are seeing that unfold before our very eyes. Times have indeed changed. Shorter supply chains and immediate neighbors have a salience much more than before,” he added.
“The nations around and proximate to the Bay of Bengal have both common interests and shared concerns. Some of it emanates from our history, where other priorities overrode the well-being of this region. The results are there for all of us to see even today. Whether it is connectivity, trade, investment or services between the BIMSTEC members, we are performing below our real potential. Now, if we are to change that, both the past and the future are our friends. One are the traditions, habits and an ethos that can be made contemporary now. The other gives us new tools and fresh possibilities, some that can even help leapfrog our capabilities.”
He added that the Summit meeting of the leaders tomorrow would set the stage for the emergence of the Bay of Bengal as a vibrant and energetic region.
BIMSTEC – the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation – comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
