BIMSTEC members to step up anti-terror cooperation

Asserting that terrorism continues to be the single most significant threat to their stability, India and six other countries in the region today decided to take concrete measures to enhance cooperation and coordination among their intelligence and security agencies.
It was agreed upon during the first meeting of national security chiefs of BIMSTEC, which has India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal as members.
The meeting decided to establish a Track 1.5 BIMSTEC Security Dialogue Forum among the strategic community, an External Affairs Ministry release said.
BIMSTEC states were also invited for a conference on counter radicalisation to be hosted by India, it said. The meet is expected to take place in June.

Chaired by NSA Ajit Doval, the meeting was attended by Major General (Rtd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique (Bangladesh), Sonam Topgay (Bhutan), Thaung Tun (Myanmar), Singha Bahadur Shrestha (Nepal), Brig M D U V Gunatilake (Sri Lanka), Vera Urairat (Thailand) and Sumith Nakandala, Secretary General of BIMSTEC. They also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Given that terrorism continues to remain the single most significant threat to peace and stability in the Bay of Bengal region, the meeting recognised the need for urgent measures to counter and prevent the spread of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation.

"And decided to take concrete measures to enhance cooperation and coordination among their law enforcement, intelligence and security organisations and enhance capacity building," it said.

Noting that BIMSTEC member states face common security challenges, the participants underlined the necessity of addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges to harness economic prosperity and human security in the region.
The meeting underscored the importance of recognising the Bay of Bengal as common security space and agreed to work out collective strategies for common responses, the release said.
Concerned over the emerging trends in cyber space that have security implications, the meeting decided to deepen cooperation among the respective cyber institutions through a Joint Forum on cyber security.
Emphasising the importance of maritime security in view of the significance of the Bay of Bengal for the well-being, prosperity, security and socio-economic development in the BIMSTEC countries, the meeting decided to examine ways to further strengthen maritime security cooperation, including Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

The participants also discussed ways and means of harnessing emerging space technologies for addressing security challenges apart from reviewing the progress made in BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes and its Sub-Groups.
It was decided that BIMSTEC national security chiefs/advisers will oversee implementation of their work.
In view of the inter-linkages between the Himalayan and the Bay of Bengal ecological systems, the meeting considered setting up of a BIMSTEC Himalayan Science Council to bring together scientific institutions to study the health of the ecological systems and their impact on human security.
India made an offer of 100 scholarships towards capacity building in security related sectors.

In view of the importance of security cooperation as means to achieve the objectives of the BIMSTEC, it was decided to hold the meeting annually and the meeting welcomed Bangladesh's offer to host the next meet.