AMN / WEB DESK
India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar on Tuesday participated in the 18th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial Meeting in Colombo.
In his address, Dr. Jaishankar emphasized the grouping’s commitment to intensify and expand areas of cooperation, especially connectivity, energy and maritime cooperation. He stressed on encouraging active business collaboration and common projects to this end.
The External Affairs Minister said, cooperation on port facilities, ferry services, coastal shipping, grid connectivity and motor vehicles movement are key. He said, BIMSTEC Nations must also collectively combat terrorism, violent extremism, transnational crime, cyber-attacks and narco-trafficking. Dr. Jaishankar said, he is looking forward to the adoption of BIMSTEC Charter and Master Plan at the Summit on Wednesday.
PM Modi to virtually attend 5th BIMSTEC Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 5th BIMSTEC Summit on Wednesday. The Summit Meeting, which is being held in virtual mode, will be hosted by Sri Lanka, the current BIMSTEC chair. To prepare for the Summit, meetings of BIMSTEC Senior Officials took place yesterday and the meetings of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers is being held today.
The Covid pandemic-related challenges, and the uncertainties within the international system that all BIMSTEC members are facing, imparts greater urgency to the goal of taking BIMSTEC technical and economic cooperation to the next level. This is expected to be the main subject of deliberations by Leaders at the Summit.
The Leaders are also expected to discuss the establishment of basic institutional structures and mechanisms of the group.