BIMSTEC signs maritime agreement, PM Modi announces slew of India-led initiatives
BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) nations signed a maritime transport agreement on Friday, outlining the region’s future roadmap. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced several India-led initiatives at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand. BIMSTEC comprises India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
The Bangkok Vision 2030 document, announced in the summit declaration, lays out the roadmap for collective prosperity. The maritime transport agreement provides national treatment and assistance to vessels, crew, and cargo, as well as a dispute settlement mechanism.
In the space sector, BIMSTEC will establish ground stations for manpower training, Nano Satellite manufacturing and launching, and remote sensing data usage. PM Modi proposed a 21-point Action Plan covering various aspects of cooperation, emphasising the importance of strengthening BIMSTEC.
The initiatives announced by PM Modi include setting up of BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence in India on disaster management, sustainable maritime transport, traditional medicine and research and training in agriculture.
He also announced a new programme for skilling the youth – BODHI (BIMSTEC for Organised Development of Human Resource Infrastructure) — under which training and scholarships would be provided to professionals, students, researchers, and diplomats from member nations.
At the summit, the PM also offered a pilot study by India to assess regional needs in digital public infrastructure and a capacity building programme for cancer care in the BIMSTEC region while also offering to establish BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and to organise BIMSTEC Business Summit every year in India.
India would be hosting a BIMSTEC athletics meet this year, and the first BIMSTEC games in 2027 when the group celebrates its 30th anniversary, the PM announced at the summit.
India would also be hosting the first meeting of Home Ministers’ Mechanism.
India would also host a BIMSTEC traditional music festival, young leaders’ summit, a Hackathon and a young professional visitors’ programme, the PM announced.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon district of Thailand’s Bangkok.
He also visited the Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan temple complex in Bangkok, accompanied by Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The PM paid homage to ‘Reclining Buddha’ and offered ‘Sanghadana’ to senior Buddhists monks. He also presented a replica of the Lion Capital of Ashoka to the ‘Reclining Buddha’ shrine.
