India to guide safety pillar of BIMSTEC; PM pitches for deal with regional safety

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The BIMSTEC on Wednesday adopted a much-awaited constitution and a connectivity roadmap to broaden its cooperative agenda with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitching for giving ample precedence to regional safety to make sure prosperity within the backdrop of the developments in Ukraine.

At a digital summit, the leaders of the seven-nation BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) additionally entrusted India to helm the grouping’s safety pillar whereas approving its main reorganisation.

In his deal with, Modi mentioned that at present is the time to “make Bay of Bengal a bridge of connectivity, a bridge of prosperity and a bridge of security” and famous that it’s unattainable to make sure prosperity or growth of the area with out safety.

The prime minister additionally introduced a USD a million ad-hoc grant for the operational price range of the BIMSTEC secretariat and one other USD 3 million help to revive the grouping’s centre for climate and local weather.

“Developments in Europe in the last few weeks have raised a question mark on the stability of the international order. In this context, it has become important to make BIMSTEC regional cooperation more active,” Modi mentioned.

“It has also become imperative to give more priority to our regional security,” he mentioned with out mentioning Ukraine.

India has been making concerted efforts to make BIMSTEC a vibrant discussion board for regional cooperation as initiatives beneath SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) weren’t shifting ahead for a wide range of causes.

Besides India, the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.

In his deal with, Modi additionally known as for fast progress on the proposed BIMSTEC free commerce settlement and batted for adopting worldwide norms within the discipline of commerce facilitation to advertise commerce and financial integration among the many member states.

The prime minister additionally emphasised creating a authorized framework quickly to arrange a ‘Coastal Shipping Eco-system’ within the Bay of Bengal and added that the time has come for implementing an electrical energy grid interconnectivity.

“Similarly, establishing a legal framework for increasing road connectivity is also important,” he mentioned.

The summit, hosted by Sri Lanka, finalised a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and determined to arrange a centre for know-how switch in Colombo and facilitate cooperation amongst diplomatic academies.

Shortly after the summit concluded, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) mentioned the adoption of the BIMSTEC constitution has given the grouping an “international personality” and mirrored its “significant evolution”.

Rudrendra Tandon, an extra secretary within the MEA, mentioned at a media briefing that the signing of the BIMSTEC constitution and finalisation of the transport connectivity roadmap had been the primary outcomes on the summit.

“Henceforth, the BIMSTEC cooperation activities will take place in seven pillars. Each pillar will be led by one of the member states who will be primarily responsible for furthering cooperation,” he mentioned.

Tandon mentioned it was determined that India will lead the safety pillar.

Referring to Modi’s participation, he mentioned the prime minister’s strategy was to suggest to the leaders that there was a must speed up the tempo of cooperation and that the grouping mustn’t relaxation after signing the constitution.

Tandon mentioned Modi additionally spoke about the necessity to transfer ahead in areas of connectivity, catastrophe administration, marine cooperation and financial integration agenda.

He mentioned the safety agenda is a “central prerequisite” for any form of growth cooperation.

Asked about cooperation beneath the safety pillar, Tandon mentioned the actions shall be based mostly on the potential and capacities of the platform.

“Currently, our approach on the security pillar is to try two things — firstly establish the highest quality norms for combating terrorism and transnational crimes and other non-traditional crimes and at the same time put in place all the legal mechanisms required to enable our law enforcement agencies to collaborate as closely as possible,” he mentioned.

He mentioned commerce facilitation may play an vital function in financial integration.

On the transport grasp plan, Tandon mentioned it is going to have a “multiplier effect” on logistics and that varied connectivity plans will be a part of up if the member international locations observe the framework.

Asked about Myanmar’s participation on the summit as it’s being dominated by the highly effective army that grabbed energy in a coup final 12 months, Tandon mentioned that nation is a crucial member of the grouping.

“For the success of cooperation activities of this platform, we require all countries to be present. Myanmar is an important member of the BIMSTEC,” he mentioned.

In view of the particular dedication that India has to develop the BIMSTEC platform additional, Modi used the event to make bulletins on some Indian initiatives which we hope will additional the BIMSTEC agenda in a extra accelerated method, Tandon mentioned.

“In this regard, he (Modi) announced a USD one million ad-hoc grant to the BIMSTEC secretariat’s operational budget. He also announced a USD 3 million grant to revive the BIMSTEC centre for weather and climate which is an important part of the disaster management and risk reduction agenda,” Tandon mentioned.

Elaborating on the BIMSTEC constitution, he mentioned the grouping now has “an international personality, it has an emblem, it has a flag, it has formally listed purpose and principles that it is going to adhere to.”

“That represents a fairly significant evolution of the grouping a process which was happening since 2004 or so,” he added.