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India is hosting the first-ever BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Youth Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from February 7 to 11, 2025, an official release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported.The initiative follows an announcement at the 4th BIMSTEC Summit and is jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Ministry of External Affairs, with the Confederation of Indian Industry's Young Indians (CII YI) as the knowledge partner. The Summit provides a platform for young leaders from BIMSTEC nations to engage in discussions on regional cooperation and emerging challenges.In a post commemorating the event, Official Spokesperson for the MEA, Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, saying,"The 1st BIMSTEC Youth Summit themed 'Youth as a bridge for intra-BIMSTEC exchange' was inaugurated by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, CM Gujarat Bhupendra Patel, MoS Raksha Khadse & ...
The employability of Indian graduates increased significantly from 33.95 per cent in 2013 to 54.81 per cent in 2024, Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday. He attributed the improved employability to various skill-building initiatives undertaken by the government amid growing demand for skilled professionals across the globe. Mandaviya inaugurated the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Youth Summit in Gandhinagar. He said BIMSTEC countries present an opportunity for collective growth and development given that more than 60 per cent of their population is below 35 years and that India is committed to playing a leading role by offering its expertise, resources, and vision. "India has taken various initiatives to bridge the skill gap amid a rise in the global demand for skilled professionals, with over 1.5 crore youth trained in AI, robotics and digital technologies and equipped with ...
India has always looked upon itself as a responsible nation, which cares for and looks after the interests of the Global South, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday. He also said that the welfare of all the people of the world is a collective responsibility of every nation. The Global South broadly includes developing and least developed countries of regions such as Africa and Asia. "We do believe that we would like to be a friend to every country in the world, more so the member states of BIMSTEC, the seven nations who collectively make up a very large number of people, almost 22 per cent of the world population," Goyal said. The minister was speaking at CII's BIMSTEC Business Summit 2024 here. The remarks assume significance as India's neighbouring country Bangladesh is facing political turmoil. "We are all deeply concerned about the evolving situation in Bangladesh and we wish the people of Bangladesh well. We will all collectively convey our best wish
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday suggested the seven member countries of the BIMSTEC bloc to relook at the progress of Free Trade Agreement talks which are moving at a very slow pace. He said that the members can think of negotiating a preferential trade agreement instead of a full-fledged free trade pact. BIMSTEC stands for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. Its seven members are five South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka) and two Southeast Asian countries (Myanmar and Thailand). The bloc has been negotiating a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) since 2004. So far over 20 rounds of talks have been held. The last one was held in 2018. "I would like to raise a few fundamental issues about where we stand and what are the possibilities of making this FTA a reality," Goyal said here at CIIs BIMSTEC Business Summit 2024. He said that so far 22 rounds of talks have been held for t
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India's commitment to seven-nation grouping BIMSTEC and stressed on its role as an engine for economic and social growth. The foreign ministers of the BIMSTEC member states made a joint call on Modi on the second and final day of their retreat in Delhi. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), brings together seven countries of South and Southeast Asia for multifaceted cooperation. Besides India, the BIMSTEC comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. "Glad to meet BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers. Discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation, including connectivity, energy, trade, health, agriculture, science, security and people-to-people exchanges. Conveyed full support to Thailand for a successful Summit," Modi said on X. A readout by the PMO said Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to a peaceful, prosperous, resilient and safe BIMSTEC region and ...
India on Thursday called on seven-nation BIMSTEC grouping to infuse new energies, resources and a fresh commitment to bolster cooperation among the Bay of Bengal countries. The appeal was made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while hosting his counterparts from BIMSTEC member states at a two-day retreat in the national capital. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together seven countries of South and Southeast Asia for multifaceted cooperation. Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. Jaishankar said BIMSTEC should harbour higher aspirations. "For India, BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its 'Neighbourhood First' outlook, the 'Act East Policy' and the 'SAGAR' vision," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks on the first day of the retreat. "Each of these endeavours is being proposed with a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, where collaborative potenti
The BIMSTEC ministerial conference, which will deal with issues such as climate change and food security, is underway in Kolkata on Saturday. Experts from various fields will discuss the issues concerning the seven members of the 'Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation' (BIMSTEC). The two-day event will be attended, among others, by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. "This conference has been designed to address all persisting issues and challenges in BIMSTEC with a country-wise representation and perspective, Arindam Mukherjee, the director of the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies, one of the organisers of the event, has said. The seven members of the BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Dealing with pandemic-related woes and other public health issues has become a critical agenda for the member states of BIMSTEC over the last two years since the COVID-19 outbreak, a top official of the regional organisation said on Saturday. Sri Lanka has been identified as the lead country for coordinating and planning on public health matters, he said. "COVID-19 made us realise that pandemics and health per say is an important agenda, and as a region, we have to come together. "Before COVID-19, we were focusing more on trade, connectivity, energy, electricity and such sectors, but not much on health. However, now we have realised that health is also a very important component," Tenzin Lekphell, BIMSTEC secretary general, told PTI. He was speaking here on the sidelines of a two-day meet of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which has Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand as member ...
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday urged the member countries of BIMSTEC to work together for development of a comprehensive regional strategy to strengthen cooperation for transformation of farm sector. India hosted the second Agriculture Ministerial-level meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) here under the chairmanship of Tomar, an official statement said. Agriculture ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand participated in the meeting. BIMSTEC was established in 1997. It includes five countries of South Asia -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and two countries of South-East Asia -- Myanmar and Thailand. Addressing the meeting virtually, Tomar urged the "member countries to cooperate in developing a comprehensive regional strategy to strengthen cooperation for the transformation of agriculture." He emphasised on the importance of millet as a ...
Tenzin Lekphell, the secretary general of the seven-nation grouping BIMSTEC, will pay a four-day visit to India beginning Monday to explore ways to take forward the bloc's cooperative agenda. India has been making concerted efforts to make BIMSTEC a vibrant forum for regional cooperation as initiatives under SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) were not moving forward for a variety of reasons. Announcing Lekphell's visit from August 22 to 25, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said he will hold discussions with senior Indian officials on how to take forward cooperation in sync with the mandate of its leaders. Besides India, the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. At the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held in Sri Lanka on March 30, the leaders of the member nations adopted a charter and a connectivity roadmap to make the grouping a vibrant platform f