India participates in 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials Meeting

New Delhi: Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, represented India at the 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) hosted by Thailand virtually on Thursday.

During the meeting which was held virtually, the senior officials reviewed the progress in BIMSTEC since their last meeting in March 2023, according to a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release. They deliberated on various priority areas of cooperation in the region including sustainable development, connectivity, security and people-to-people exchanges.

In a press release, MEA stated, “Several documents with regard to Plans of Action for cooperation in specific areas, certain new mechanisms of cooperation, and cooperation with external partners were finalised. The issues with regard to the forthcoming 6th BIMSTEC Summit were also discussed.”

“The Indian delegation reiterated India’s steadfast commitment to BIMSTEC and its vision for a robust, vibrant, and prosperous region,” it added.

Thailand’s Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Paisan Rupanichkij, chaired the 24th virtual session of BIMSTEC Senior Officials meeting. Nepal’s Acting Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai represented Nepal at the meeting.

In a post on X, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday stated, “Acting Foreign Secretary @amritrai555 led a Nepali delegation to 24th virtual Session of BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting chaired by HE Mr Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, today.”

Earlier in September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated India’s dedication to strengthening ties with BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) during a meeting of foreign ministers in New York.

He said that this commitment aligns with India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, Vision SAGAR, and Act East Policy. Sharing a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, “Chaired the BIMSTEC informal Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York, in preparation for the BIMSTEC Leaders’ Summit.”

Jaishankar also said that the meeting focused on improving maritime and digital connectivity.

In a post on X, he stated, “Took stock of our close cooperation in health, food security, trade, investment, economy and energy. Focused on improving physical, maritime and digital connectivity across the region. Explored opportunities for capacity building, skill development and improving people-to-people ties. Development of BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence is a collective resolve. Reaffirmed India’s commitment for wider engagement with BIMSTEC in line with Neighbourhood First, Vision SAGAR and Act East Policy.”

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