Ahead of the BIMSTEC summit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Thailand next week, BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey has stressed on intensifying counter-terror cooperation and underlined that the grouping will acquire more economic and strategic heft with the adoption of the Bangkok Vision 2030.
In an online conference organised by Centre for Global India Insights (CGII), a think tank focused on global affairs and India Writes Network, Mr Pandey highlighted ongoing initiatives to bolster security cooperation, including counter-terrorism, among BIMSTEC member states.
“We have robust cooperation in security sector. There is greater focus on dealing with the shared challenge of counterterrorism, and issues like drug trafficking, and human trafficking in the region,” said Mr Pandey. “A convention on counterterrorism and drug trafficking is already in force. Member states have been working together in implementing that convention and there are mechanisms in place for them to work together,” he said.
“Our leaders will adopt a joint declaration. They will also adopt a BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030. This is for the first time that BIMSTEC will adopt its own vision document,” said Mr Pandey. “There will be signing of agreement on maritime transport cooperation in the presence of our leaders. A number of other MoU will be signed for partnerships between BIMSTEC Secretariat and its external partners,” he said.
The BIMSTEC chief also underlined the importance of the grouping for promoting South-South Cooperation. “The best way to engage in South-South Cooperation, in my view, is through mini-laterals and regional organizations like BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC continues to enjoy full political support of all its members,” he said.
Partnering with ASEAN, IORA
Alluding to ongoing efforts by BIMSTEC to forge partnerships with international and regional organizations, Mr Pandey said that the seven-nation grouping will sign an MOU with Indian Ocean Rim Association at the summit in Bangkok. “We are in close conversation with ASEAN. It’s an organization which is keen to work together with BIMSTEC because two members of ASEAN are members of BIMSTEC, Thailand and Myanmar. And there is a lot that we can learn from experience of ASEAN,” he said.
Don’t Compare BIMSTEC & SAARC
Eminent panellists at the conference also cautioned against comparing and looking at BIMSTEC through the prism of other regional groupings such as SAARC and ASEAN. “It is not fair to BIMSTEC, to look at BIMSTEC in the context of SAARC or any other organization because BIMSTEC has its own rationale, its own agenda, its own role, its own history,” said Mr Pandey. “It has its own challenges and opportunities as a regional organization. We were born 27 years ago. At that time, SAARC was fully functional and at the same time, the need was felt to have an organization which will focus on technical and economic cooperation bringing together countries from South Asia and Southeast Asia.”
In a similar vein, Amb. Sumith Nakandala, BIMSTEC’s first Secretary General, said: “Comparisons between BIMSTEC and other regional organizations, like ASEAN, are not valid. We have our own history, our own challenges, and our own trajectory.”
Amb. Ganguly also highlighted BIMSTEC’s role in enhancing security and counter-terror cooperation in the region. “Security is a critical sector for BIMSTEC, particularly in dealing with terrorism, transnational crimes, and non-traditional security threats.”
Prabir De, professor, RIS, highlighted the pivotal role of BIMSTEC, in accelerating connectivity and distinguished BIMSTEC’s approach from China’s Belt and Road Initiative. “It is not a top-down, it’s a bottom-up kind of thing. Belt and Road Initiatives follow a bottom-up approach,” said Prof. De, while cautioning against debt trap associated with many BRI projects.
