6th BIMSTEC summit to focus on trade, security & regional cooperation

The 6th Summit of the Heads of State and Governments of the member States of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is scheduled to take place on 4th April in Bangkok, Thailand. The theme of the Summit is Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Thailand on the 3rd of April to participate in the BIMSTEC Summit. The Summit aims at fostering collaboration among the member States to address the shared security and developmental challenges. It will provide a new impetus to the efforts underway to realise the goal of a prosperous, resilient and open BIMSTEC. The Summit will further reinforce the critical role of BIMSTEC in forging regional cooperation to enable the member States to deal with their shared security and sustainable development challenges. BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region. This includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. 
The agenda includes adopting the 6th BIMSTEC Summit Declaration, which will outline the leaders’ vision and directives, as well as the Bangkok Vision 2030, a pioneering roadmap for future cooperation among member states. Key agreements slated for signing include the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation, designed to boost cargo and passenger transport across the Bay of Bengal, enhancing trade and travel. Additionally, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) will be signed between BIMSTEC and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as well as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), marking the beginning of new developmental partnerships.  
Since its inception in June 1997, BIMSTEC has held five summits in Bangkok in 2004, New Delhi in 2008, Nay Pyi Taw in 2014, Kathmandu in 2018, and Colombo in 2022. The upcoming summit marks a pivotal moment in shaping BIMSTEC’s future agenda across key sectors such as agriculture and food security, connectivity, environment and climate change, people-to-people contact, science, technology and innovation, security, and trade, investment, and development. BIMSTEC is also focusing on sub-sectors including the Blue Economy and Disaster Management.