 "Image via Shutterstock")
To infuse enthusiasm into what has largely remained a moribund grouping since its inception 20 years ago, the BIMSTEC leaders on Monday identified 14 sectors in which to deepen their cooperation, including in areas of blue economy and counter-terrorism.
The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) has so far held only three summits since the first one in Bangkok in 1997. In the outcome document, the leaders said BIMSTEC needed to become “stronger, more effective and result-oriented”.
India had invited BIMSTEC member countries as part of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit outreach. Apart from India, other BIMSTEC members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The meetings were concluded on Sunday and the agreed outcome document was released on Monday.
Also Read
To questions on why New Delhi invited BIMSTEC instead of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries as part of India’s efforts to isolate Pakistan within South Asia, ministry of external affairs (MEA) officials said the invites were sent in April – much before the Uri terror attack of September 18. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said it was evident Pakistan was being isolated by its own acts and policies. “India doesn’t need to do anything,” he noted.
Unlike the BRICS Summit’s Goa Declaration issued on Sunday, the BIMSTEC Outcome Document has references to terrorism more in line with India’s position on the issue. The grouping said it recognised terrorism as “the single most significant threat to peace and stability” in its region. It stressed “there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever”.
While the document doesn’t mention the Uri terror attack specifically, it condemns “in the strongest terms the recent barbaric terror attacks in the region.” The document has references that can be construed to be a criticism of Pakistan’s sponsoring of terror and of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s speech in the United Nations extolling slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani as a martyr.
The member states agreed that fight against terrorism “should not only seek to disrupt and eliminate terrorists, terror organisations and networks, but should also identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against States who encourage, support and finance terrorism, provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, and falsely extol their virtues. They said, “There should be no glorification of terrorists as martyrs”.
The issue of terrorism also dominated the bilateral meeting of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS-BIMSTEC meeting. He lauded Hasina for her government’s “strong action” against terrorism. “You have shown a template on how to fight terrorism successfully,” Modi, according to MEA officials, told Hasina. The Bangladesh PM talked about the steps taken by her government after the Holey Artisan bakery terror attacks in Dhaka in July, including her government asking Muslim religious leaders to raise voice against terrorism.
Apart from terrorism, BIMSTEC members agreed to advance multi-modal physical connectivity (air, rail, roads and waterways) in the BIMSTEC region. In her speech, Myanmar State Counsellor said BIMSTEC was the “least integrated, least connected” region in the world. The member states agreed to explore the possibility of a BIMSTEC Motor Vehicles Agreement. They also decided to cooperate on disaster management issues and in the agriculture sector.
As the Bay of Bengal region is home to some 30 per cent of the world’s fishermen, the member states said they would strive for sustainable development of fisheries in the region. The member states will also work to harness the “enormous potential that the development of the blue economy holds” for the region, with deepening cooperation in aquaculture, hydrography, seabed mineral exploration, coastal shipping, eco-tourism, and renewable ocean energy.
They also asked officials to expedite signing an agreement on grid interconnection, operationalise the BIMSTEC Energy Centre and promote regional energy trade. Negotiations will also be accelerated on BIMSTEC Free Trade Area.
The fourth BIMSTEC Summit will be in Nepal in 2017.
