At BIMSTEC meet, Jaishankar calls for better cooperation

Jaishankar, while speaking at a two-day retreat of foreign ministers and officials from BIMSTEC countries in Delhi, said, “We all benefited from the last such exercise in Bangkok. This one now has a particular importance as it serves to prepare strong outcomes for the Summit to be held later in the year.”

Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with the Foreign Ministers of other nations during the 2nd BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat, in New Delhi. (PTI)

Underlining that BIMSTEC should harbour higher aspirations, External Affairs minister S Jaishankar said Thursday that the grouping should infuse new energies, resources and a fresh commitment to bolster cooperation among the Bay of Bengal countries.

Jaishankar, while speaking at a two-day retreat of foreign ministers and officials from BIMSTEC countries in Delhi, said, “We all benefited from the last such exercise in Bangkok. This one now has a particular importance as it serves to prepare strong outcomes for the Summit to be held later in the year.”

“Our message should be clear — that we are all determined to infuse new energies, new resources and a new commitment into cooperation among the Bay of Bengal nations,” he said.

The BIMSTEC foreign ministers had last met in a similar format in Bangkok in July last year. 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. Thailand is the current chair of BIMSTEC and it is set to host the annual summit of the grouping later this year.

“Confident that today’s deliberations will contribute to solid outcomes and practical collaborations at the forthcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand,” Jaishankar said on X at the end of the first day’s discussions.

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