India asserts Myanmar as important constituent of BIMSTEC

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for greater cooperation among BIMSTEC nations_ highlighting military junta ruled Myanmar an essential for successful cooperation among the seven member-states.

Representatives from Myanmar s military junta have recently participated in the fifth BIMSTEC summit which was hosted by Sri Lanka in and from Colombo_ in hybrid mode on 30th March 2022.

India_ which shares border with Myanmar has continued to maintain that its Myanmar policy is driven by its security concerns.

 BIMSTEC is a multilateral_ a regional cooperation platform and the aim is to focus on economic and development cooperation_ to do activities that genuinely deliver value to people_ Rudrendra Tandon_ additional secretary-ministry of external affairs of India has said after the BIMSTEC summit.

 The members on this platform are countries who are either geographically littoral to or dependent upon the Bay of Bengal. For the success of cooperation activities on this platform_ we require all countries to be present and to participate in that cooperation activities. Myanmar is an important constituent member of the BIMSTEC and it has a very important geography_ Rudrendra added.

Tandon also emphasized said that India will lead the security pillar of the Bay of Bengal bloc. Asked about cooperation under the security pillar_ he described the activities will be based on the potential and capacities of the platform.

In the opening remarks at the BIMSTEC Summit_ Narendra Modi said the results of this landmark summit will write a golden chapter in BIMSTEC's history.

Modi said_ in order to increase mutual trade among the members of the bloc_ it is important to move forward on the BIMSTEC FTA proposal.

With the region facing challenges of health and economic security_ need of the hour is unity and cooperation_ Modi asserted.

Besides India_ the other members of BIMSTEC are Bangladesh_ Myanmar_ Thailand_ Nepal_ Bhutan and Sri Lanka.