Current Context : External Affairs Minister held bilateral meeting with the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs in New Delhi.

First edition of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Ministers’ Retreat was held in Bangkok Thailand in 2023.

ABOUT BENGAL INITIATIVE FOR MULTI-SECTORAL TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION (BIMSTEC)

• It is a regional multilateral organization.
• Established in 1997 by signing Bangkok Declaration.
• 7 member states: Five are from South Asia : Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan.
  • Two are from Southeast Asia : Thailand, Myanmar.
• Permanent Secretariat: Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• BIMSTEC’s Principle: Sovereign equality, Political independence, Territorial integrity, Peaceful co-existence, Non-interference in internal affairs, etc.
• 7 Focus areas: Trade; Environment and Climate Change; Security; Agriculture and Food Security; People-to-People Contact; Science, Technology, and Innovation; Connectivity.

Significance of BIMSTEC for India : Regional cooperation, Geostrategic importance, Security.