Jaishankar takes part in BIMSTEC meeting

Bangkok External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held a productive discussion with his counterparts from the BIMSTEC region and the leaders focused on strengthening "resilience and coordination" among them with the common objective to enhance growth and promote prosperity. Established in 1997, the BIMSTEC is an economic and technical initiative which brings together the countries of the Bay of Bengal for multifaceted cooperation.

The retreat would discuss ways to further deepen the BIMSTEC agenda and strengthen the organisation. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping that comprises India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. The seven countries are home to 1.73 billion people and have a combined gross domestic product of more than USD 4 trillion. "Just concluded a productive BIMSTEC Retreat in Bangkok. An open and forward-looking discussion among colleagues. Focused on strengthening resilience and coordination among BIMSTEC members, reflecting the challenges that we all confront today.

Explored new facets and activities to enter new areas of cooperation, Jaishankar tweeted. "Food, health and energy security are common concerns. Technology solutions can be subject for both collaboration and exchange of best practices.