14-Jul-2022: India’s NSCS Hosts Meeting of BIMSTEC
The National Security Council Secretariat, Government of India is organizing a two day Meeting of the BIMSTEC Expert Group on Cyber Security Cooperation on 14-15 July 2022 in New Delhi. The Meeting is based on the agreement made during the meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs held at Bangkok in March 2019 that the BIMSTEC Expert Group will formulate an Action plan to deal with Cyber Security challenges in the BIMSTEC Region.
The in-person meeting is being chaired by the National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt General Rajesh Pant and will witness the participation of delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. All the delegates are experts in Cyber Security from their respective Government organization.
India as a lead Country for Security Sector in BIMSTEC forum has taken the initiative to organize this meeting on Cyber Security Cooperation and develop a Plan of Action on cyber security. The BIMSTEC Member States are being represented by the senior officials of their respective Government organisations which deals with cyber security and incident response.
The main objective of this BIMSTEC Expert Group meeting is to formulate the Action Plan which will bolster coordination and collaboration amongst the BIMSTEC Member States for strengthening Cyber Security in the use of ICTs. This Action plan will cover the mechanisms for the exchanges of cyber related information, cybercrime, protection of critical information infrastructures, cyber incident response and international developments related to cyber norms. The Action Plan has been proposed to be implemented within the time frame of 5 years after which the Experts Group on Cyber Security will review the Action Plan.
14-Jun-2022: Cabinet approves Memorandum of Association (MoA) by India for establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Centre at Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved a Memorandum of Association (MoA) by India for establishment of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Technology Transfer Facility (TTF) was signed by the BIMSTEC member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held at Colombo, Sri Lanka on 30th March, 2022.
The main objectives of the BIMSTEC TTF are to coordinate, facilitate and strengthen cooperation in technology transfer among the BIMSTEC Member States by promoting the transfer of technologies, sharing of experiences and capacity building.
The TTF shall facilitate transfer of technologies among the BIMSTEC Member States, amongst other things, in the following priority areas Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Information and Communication Technology, Space technology applications, Agricultural technology, Food processing technology, Pharmaceutical technology automation, New and renewable energy technology automation, New and Renewable energy technology, Oceanography, Nuclear Technology Applications, E-waste and solid waste management technology, Health Technologies, Technologies pertinent to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation.
The TTF shall have a Governing Board and the overall control of activities of the TTF shall be vested in the Governing Board. The Governing Board shall consist of one nominee from each Member State.
The expected outcomes of the BIMSTEC TTF are:
- Databank of technologies available in BIMSTEC Countries,
- Repository of information on good practices in the areas of technology transfer management, standards, accreditation, metrology, testing and calibration facilities,
- Capacity building, sharing of experiences and good practices in development, and
- Transfer and use of technologies among BIMSTEC countries.
31-Aug-2021: 8th Meeting of Agricultural Experts of BIMSTEC Countries held
India hosted the 8th Meeting of Agriculture Experts of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Countries virtually Today. Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education & Director General, ICAR chaired the daylong meeting with Dr. Thanda Kyi, Deputy Director General, Department of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Republic of the Union of Myanmar Co-Chair. Experts of Agricultural Ministries from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand participated in the meeting.
The Chairman highlighted the UN Food System Summit 2021 and the transformations that are happening in the agriculture and food systems globally. He exhorted to enhance the engagement and deepen the cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors amongst the BIMSTEC Member States by encouraging the exchange of knowledge, germplasm, students and experts. He also emphasized addressing biosafety and biosecurity concerns and promoting digital agriculture along with the trade of technologies for developing resilient agriculture, food systems and value chains.
The BIMSTEC Member States appreciated the greater engagement of India offering six slots of scholarships each for Master and PhD programmes in agriculture and its other initiatives for capacity development and training including the development of seed sectors. The cooperation in the areas of high impact transboundary diseases of livestock and poultry; aquatic animal diseases and bio-security in aquaculture and digitalization to promote precision farming was also discussed in the meeting.
The BIMSTEC provides a unique link between South and South-East Asia with 5 countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka from South Asia and two countries - Myanmar and Thailand from South-East Asia coming together on one platform for cooperation in 14 key economic and social sectors of the economy.
The BIMSTEC was founded in 1997 with an ambition to pursue mutual trade, connectivity and cultural, technical and economic development in the region. Initially, six sectors- trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries were included for sectoral cooperation which was later expanded to 14 areas of cooperation. Agriculture is one of the 14 sectors. As about 1.7 billion+ people i.e., 22 per cent of the global population live in BIMSTEC countries, agriculture & allied activities are central to the economic and social development of the region.
The 4th Summit of BIMSTEC Heads of States held on August 30-31, 2018 at Kathmandu emphasised deepening the cooperation in the agriculture sector to attain food and nutritional security, preserve and promote knowledge on traditional farming and reduce costs, enhance income and mitigate risks for farming communities. Likewise, the 1stmeeting of the agriculture Ministers of BIMSTEC held on July 12, 2019 in Myanmar also reiterated stronger agricultural cooperation among BIMSTEC countries. This has assumed even greater significance in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the food system.
16-Jan-2021: PM calls for collaboration among BIMSTEC nations to make this century a century of Asia Lauds vibrant energy in the startup space in BIMSTEC countries
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has said that it is for BIMSTEC nations to make this century the century of Asia as they are one fifth of humanity and have the collectively strength of 3.8 trillion dollar GDP. He was addressing ‘Prarambh: Startup India International Summit’ today via video conferencing.
The Prime Minister, noted the vibrant energy in the startup space in BIMSTEC countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. The Prime Minister noted that this century is a century of digital revolution and new age innovations. This is also the century of Asia. Therefore, it is the demand of our time that future technology and entrepreneurs should come from the region. For this, the Prime Minister stressed, that Asian counties who have will for collaboration should take responsibility and come together. There is a shared heritage of culture, civilization and relations in these countries. We share our thoughts, our ideas and wellbeing, therefore our success will also be shared. This responsibility, naturally falls on BIMSTECF countries as we work for one fifth of humanity, said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister saw new possibilities in the impatience, energy and eagerness of the youth of the region. That’s why, he said, he called for collaboration for technology and innovation at BIMSTEC summit in 2018 and proposed a BIMSTEC Start Up Conclave. Today’s Startup India International conclave is a step in the direction of fulfilling that pledge, the Prime Minister said.
Shri Modi outlined the ongoing steps in enhancing connectivity and business relations among the countries of the region. He recalled that BIMSTEC Ministers participated in India Mobile Congress in 2018 to promote digital connectivity. Similarly collaboration is on in sectors like defence, disaster management, space, agriculture and business. “Strong relations in these areas will benefit our startups leading to a value creation cycle, meaning, deepening ties in fields like infrastructure, agriculture and business will create new opportunities for our startups which in turn lead to growth in these sectors”, hoped Prime Minister Modi.
28-May-2019: Modi swearing-in invite to BIMSTEC leaders
By inviting leaders from the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries, Kyrgyz Republic and Mauritius at his swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a carefully calibrated diplomatic move that signals a major outreach to India’s neighbourhood from the Bay of Bengal to Central Asia, as well as the Indian diaspora across the world.
Last time, Modi had invited the SAARC leaders, and then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s attendance had raised hopes of a new beginning in the bilateral ties. This time, SAARC’s exclusion is clearly aimed at keeping Pakistan out of New Delhi’s engagement with its neighbours.
By inviting the leader from Kyrgyz Republic, India is displaying an outreach to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is headed by the Kyrgyz leader, and which has China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan as members. India, which became a member along with Pakistan in 2017, wants to leverage its membership to advance its strategic objectives — counter-terrorism and connectivity.
And Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, who was also the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January this year, is one of the most well-placed People of Indian Origin in the world. Since Modi has invested diplomatic capital in outreach to the Indian diaspora since 2014, this invite is seen as a natural choice.
The key message, however, is the outreach to BIMSTEC, which includes Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan, besides India.
From SAARC to BIMSTEC
New Delhi’s engagement with BIMSTEC rose from the ashes of SAARC. In October 2016, following the Uri attack, India gave a renewed push for the grouping that had existed for almost two decades but been largely ignored. Alongside the BRICS summit in Goa, Modi hosted an outreach summit with BIMSTEC leaders.
That September, some of these BIMSTEC countries had supported New Delhi’s call for a boycott of the SAARC summit scheduled in Islamabad in November 2016. As the summit was postponed, India had claimed victory in isolating Pakistan, having accused that country of carrying out the Uri attack.
Suddenly, BIMSTEC had emerged as a regional platform where five SAARC countries could gather and discuss sub-regional cooperation. India had long felt that the vast potential of SAARC was being under-utilized and opportunities were being lost due to either a lack of response and/or an obstructionist approach from Pakistan.
The search for an alternative, in fact, had been evident at the 2014 SAARC summit in Kathmandu, where Modi had said opportunities must be realised “through SAARC or outside it” and “among us all or some of us.” That was an important signal to Pakistan, as well as to fellow SAARC members.
Two years after the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit and the BIMSTEC leaders’ retreat, the fourth BIMSTEC summit was held in Kathmandu in September 2018. The outcome was considered quite comprehensive, spanning from blue economy to counter-terrorism, although it was only the fourth summit in 21 years.
The Bay of Bengal is the largest bay in the world. Over one-fifth (22%) of the world’s population live in the seven countries around it, and they have a combined GDP close to $2.7 trillion.
Despite economic challenges, all these seven countries have been able to sustain average annual rates of economic growth between 3.4% and 7.5% from 2012 to 2016. The Bay also has vast untapped natural resources. One-fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the Bay every year.
In an effort to integrate the region, the grouping was formed in 1997, originally with Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and later included Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. BIMSTEC, which now includes five countries from South Asia and two from ASEAN, is a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia. It includes all the major countries of South Asia, except Maldives, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Few people in India are conscious of the fact that Phuket in Thailand is only 273 nautical miles from Indira Point, which is less than the distance between Chennai and Madurai.
As the region’s largest economy, India has a lot at stake. In the 20th anniversary speech in 2017, Modi said BIMSTEC connects not only South and Southeast Asia, but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. “For India, it is a natural platform to fulfil our key foreign policy priorities of ‘Neighborhood First’ and ‘Act East’,” he said.
For New Delhi, one key reason for engagement is in the vast potential that is unlocked with stronger connectivity. Almost 300 million people, or roughly one-quarter of India’s population, live in the four coastal states adjacent to the Bay of Bengal (Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal). And, about 45 million people, who live in landlocked Northeastern states, will have the opportunity to connect via the Bay of Bengal to Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand, opening up possibilities in terms of development.
From the strategic perspective, the Bay of Bengal, a funnel to the Malacca straits, has emerged a key theatre for an increasingly assertive China in maintaining its access route to the Indian Ocean. Beijing has undertaken massive drive to finance and develop infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative in almost all BIMSTEC countries, except Bhutan and India.
12-Apr-2017: Cabinet approves the “Signing and Ratification of MoU for Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection”
The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for Signing of "Memorandum of Understanding for Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection". It will be signed among member states of BIMSTEC at the upcoming 3rd BIMSTEC Energy Ministers' Meeting to be held in Nepal.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia viz. Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The "Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation in BIMSTEC" was formulated in the first BIMSTEC Energy Ministers' Conference held in New Delhi on October 4, 2005. In this plan, under the "BIMSTEC Trans-Power Exchange and Development Project", it was decided that a Task Force led by Thailand, with representatives of member countries, will give a report on draft MoU for grid interconnections. Total five meetings Task Force for BIMSTEC on Trans-power Exchange were held and the draft MoU for establishment of BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection was finalized by the Task Force on 16th Mar 2015.
In the BIMSTEC Leaders' Retreat 2016, held in Goa on 16th October 2016, the Leaders decided to expedite the signing of the MoU on BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection. Eventually, during the 4th meeting of BIMSTEC Senior Officials on Energy held on 11th-12th January 2017, the MoU was discussed and finalized.
This MoU will provide a broad framework for the Parties to cooperate towards the implementation of grid interconnections for the trade in electricity with a view to promoting rational and optimal power transmission in the BIMSTEC region. This MoU will facilitate:
(i) the optimization of using the energy resources in the region for mutual benefits on non-discriminatory basis subject to laws, rules and regulations of the respective Parties;
(ii) the promotion of efficient, economic, and secure operation of power system needed through the development of regional electricity networks;
(iii) the necessity of optimization of capital investment for generation capacity addition across the region; and
(iv) power exchange through cross border interconnections.
21-Mar-2017: BIMSTEC meet to focus on terror
India recently hosted the meeting of the national security advisers and security chiefs of BIMSTEC countries here on Tuesday, taking the first steps towards building a security architecture for the Bay of Bengal region. Counter-terrorism cooperation, counter radicalisation and maritime were the focus areas.
The meeting also deliberated on a host of security issues including the festering Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, which has seen terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and al Qaeda trying to radicalise them.
The idea of the security meet was mooted during the BRICS-BIMSTEC summit in Goa in 2016. India considers Bay of Bengal as an important economic and strategic space and security challenges in this region have assumed greater importance. The Bay of Bengal sits in the centre of sea lanes of communication and trade and energy routes. It has assumed greater importance after India decided to develop its eastern seaboard with its ambitious `Sagar Mala’ project. All of these put security issues in sharp focus. China’s growing power play in the South Asian region and Indian Ocean has made it imperative for India to engage the countries in the neighbourhood in a security conversation that takes New Delhi’s security interests on board, while enabling them to deal with their own emerging security challenges.