New Delhi: India on Thursday called on the seven-nation BIMSTEC grouping to infuse new energies, resources and a fresh commitment to bolster cooperation among the Bay of Bengal countries. The appeal was made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while hosting his counterparts from the BIMSTEC member states at a two-day retreat in the national capital. The first day’s deliberations covered connectivity, cooperation in trade and business, collaboration in health and space, digital public infrastructure and capacity building and societal exchanges. However, he noted that the group should find solutions to regional issues by itself.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), brings together seven countries of South and Southeast Asia for multifaceted cooperation. Besides India, the BIMSTEC comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.