Bimstec Summit

Hope and disappointment: Why BIMSTEC is yet to realise its ambitions

Calls for an early conclusion to an FTA have gone nowhere in five years as members have not been able to reach a consensus over issues such as market access or a dispute settlement mechanism

Bloc development: Bimstec needs faster progress; India's role is key

This sixth summit, hosted by Thailand under its chairmanship, saw some energetic interventions by India as part of the "PRO" agenda

PM Modi arrives in Colombo; aims to boost ties between India-Sri Lanka

The prime minister landed in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC

BIMSTEC Summit: PM Modi proposes annual biz meets, trade in local currency

6th Leaders' Summit adopts maritime pact to boost shipping ties, joint economic roadmap

PM Modi attends 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok: All you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took part in the summit on Friday, announced several India-led initiatives focusing on enhancement of cooperation and coordination in the region

India, Thailand support rules-based order in Indo-Pacific: PM Modi

India and Thailand on Thursday decided to elevate their relations to the level of a strategic partnership with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that both the countries support a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order in Indo-Pacific, and believe in a policy of development, not expansionism. Modi made the remarks at a joint press event with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra after holding delegation-level talks during which they held extensive discussions on various areas of bilateral cooperation. "We have emphasized cooperation in the fields of tourism, culture, and education between India's northeastern states and Thailand. We discussed enhancing mutual trade, investment, and exchanges between businesses," Modi said about his talks with Shinawatra. Agreements have also been made for cooperation in MSME, handloom, and handicraft, he noted. Modi asserted that Thailand holds a special place in India's Act East' Policy and the Indo-Pacific vision. "Today, we have

Global order under churn, every region needs to look out for itself: EAM

Amid reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said the world is moving to an era of self-help and every region needs to look out for itself. Addressing the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial, Jaishankar said shorter supply chains and immediate neighbours have a salience much more than before. The reality is that the world is moving to an era of self-help. Every region needs to look out for itself, whether it is in food, fuel and fertilizer supply, vaccines or speedy disaster response, the minister said. We are seeing that unfold before our very eyes. Times have indeed changed. Shorter supply chains and immediate neighbours have a salience much more than before, Jaishankar said. While Jaishankar is here to attend the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Ministerial, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the leaders from Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and .

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Thailand to attend 6th Bimstec summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a two-day visit to Thailand, where he will engage in bilateral talks with his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. Modi will receive a grand welcome from the Indian community in Thailand and is scheduled to meet Shinawatra at the Government House, where he will be accorded a ceremonial welcome. On Thursday evening, the Prime Minister will join the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) leaders from Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bhutan to oversee the signing of the Agreement on Maritime Cooperation. The BIMSTEC summit will bring Modi face-to-face with Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, and Myanmar military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, among others.

India fulfilling 'First Responder' duty in Myanmar: Jaishankar at Bimstec

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday thanked Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand for his welcome ahead of the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting.Jaishankar said he looked forward to the conversations ahead of the BIMSTEC Leader's Summit."Thank you FM Maris Sangiampongsa of Thailand for the warm welcome in Bangkok today for the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting. Look forward to productive conversations today ahead of the BIMSTEC Leader's Summit."Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Bangkok, Thailand to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, which will be held on Friday.Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a post on X wrote, "PM @narendramodi departs on a visit to Thailand & Sri Lanka.""PM will be paying an Official Visit to Thailand & participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. Thereafter, he will proceed on a State Visit to Sri Lanka," it added.PM Modi said that he will be in Thailand and Sri

High possibility of Yunus-Modi meet during Bimstec summit: B'desh official

There is a "high possibility" of a meeting between Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, a senior official said here on Wednesday. Modi will travel to Thailand on Thursday on a two-day visit, during which he will attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and hold talks with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Khalilur Rahman, the High Representative to the Chief Adviser for the Rohingya issue and other priorities, was quoted by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper as saying that Bangladesh has requested a meeting between the two leaders and "we have reasonable grounds to remain hopeful". He told reporters that there is a "high possibility" of the meeting, the paper added. The state-run BSS news agency also quoted an unnamed source as saying that talks between the two leaders will be held during the summit. In New Delhi, sources

PM Modi to visit Thailand; meet PM Shinawatra, attend BIMSTEC Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive here on Thursday on a two-day visit, during which he will hold talks with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra and attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. Modi will be given a grand welcome by the Indian community in Thailand and is scheduled to meet Shinawatra at the Government House, where he will be accorded a ceremonial welcome. On Thursday evening, the Prime Minister will join the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) leaders from Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan to oversee the signing of the Agreement on Maritime Cooperation. The BIMSTEC summit will bring Modi face to face with Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, among others. It was not immediately clear whether Myanmar military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was attending the Summit in person. Myanmar is grappling with the aftermath of the massive earthquake that ...

PM Modi to visit Thailand, Sri Lanka from April 3-6 to strengthen ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation tour of Thailand and Sri Lanka next week with a broad focus on boosting regional cooperation under India's newly announced 'MAHASAGAR policy' and vision for a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. In the first leg of the tour, Modi will visit Bangkok from April 3 to 4 to participate in the sixth BIMSTEC Summit being hosted by Thailand. It will be the prime minister's third visit to Thailand, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. From Thailand, Modi will travel to Sri Lanka for a three-day trip to hold talks with top leadership of the island nation. "The prime minister's visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, and his participation in the 6th BIMSTEC summit will reaffirm India's commitment to its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, 'Act East' policy, 'MAHASAGAR' vision, and vision of the Indo-Pacific," the MEA said. Modi announced the vision of 'MAHASAGAR' or "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across ..

What is BIMSTEC and why is it gaining importance? | BIMSTEC Bangkok Summit | India-Bangldesh

India hosts first Bimstec youth summit in Gandhinagar on regional ties

India is hosting the first-ever BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Youth Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from February 7 to 11, 2025, an official release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported.The initiative follows an announcement at the 4th BIMSTEC Summit and is jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Ministry of External Affairs, with the Confederation of Indian Industry's Young Indians (CII YI) as the knowledge partner. The Summit provides a platform for young leaders from BIMSTEC nations to engage in discussions on regional cooperation and emerging challenges.In a post commemorating the event, Official Spokesperson for the MEA, Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, saying,"The 1st BIMSTEC Youth Summit themed 'Youth as a bridge for intra-BIMSTEC exchange' was inaugurated by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, CM Gujarat Bhupendra Patel, MoS Raksha Khadse & ...

Employability of Indian graduates rises to 54.81% in last decade: Mandaviya

The employability of Indian graduates increased significantly from 33.95 per cent in 2013 to 54.81 per cent in 2024, Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday. He attributed the improved employability to various skill-building initiatives undertaken by the government amid growing demand for skilled professionals across the globe. Mandaviya inaugurated the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Youth Summit in Gandhinagar. He said BIMSTEC countries present an opportunity for collective growth and development given that more than 60 per cent of their population is below 35 years and that India is committed to playing a leading role by offering its expertise, resources, and vision. "India has taken various initiatives to bridge the skill gap amid a rise in the global demand for skilled professionals, with over 1.5 crore youth trained in AI, robotics and digital technologies and equipped with ...

EAM Jaishankar discusses 'intensifying engagement' with Thai counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held talks with his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa during which the two sides discussed on their "intensifying engagement" covering a range of domains, including political, defence and security, trade and investment, and tourism. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional matters, India-ASEAN, Indo-Pacific and cooperation in the UN. The bilateral discussion between the two leaders came a day after Jaishankar hosted his counterparts from the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member countries at a two-day retreat that began Thursday in the national capital. The external affairs minister had on Thursday held separate meetings with his counterparts from Bangladesh and Bhutan, focusing on ways to boost bilateral ties in diverse areas. On Friday, he held talks with Thai Foreign Minister Sangiampongsa. Jaishankar shared pictures from this meeting in a post on X. "Delighted

PM Modi highlights BIMSTEC's role as an engine for economic, social growth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India's commitment to seven-nation grouping BIMSTEC and stressed on its role as an engine for economic and social growth. The foreign ministers of the BIMSTEC member states made a joint call on Modi on the second and final day of their retreat in Delhi. 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. "Glad to meet BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers. Discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation, including connectivity, energy, trade, health, agriculture, science, security and people-to-people exchanges. Conveyed full support to Thailand for a successful Summit," Modi said on X. A readout by the PMO said Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to a peaceful, prosperous, resilient and safe BIMSTEC region and ...

India calls for infusing new energies into BIMSTEC to bolster cooperation

India on Thursday called on 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 BIMSTEC member states at a two-day retreat in the national capital. 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, BIMSTEC comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. Jaishankar said BIMSTEC should harbour higher aspirations. "For India, BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its 'Neighbourhood First' outlook, the 'Act East Policy' and the 'SAGAR' vision," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks on the first day of the retreat. "Each of these endeavours is being proposed with a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, where collaborative potenti

Overseas visits: Narendra Modi or Manmohan Singh, who travelled the most?

Data suggests that while Modi has spent fewer days abroad than his predecessor - 275 days versus Singh's 306 - he has travelled more widely and strenuously than any other Indian PM

BIMSTEC FTA progress 'slow', members move to consider components: Official

As the free trade area framework under the BIMSTEC is progressing slowly, members of the seven-country bloc are now considering certain components of it, such as trade facilitation and mutual assistance on customs matters, to finalise and proceed for implementation, a top official of the regional organisation said here on Thursday. Member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) had in 2004 agreed to establish the free trade area framework agreement in order to stimulate trade and investment but some components of it are still under negotiations and incomplete, BIMSTEC Secretariat Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell said. The progress of BIMSTEC FTA, to be fair, is very slow. Realising the long delay, member states are now considering completing those components that are almost being finalised to proceed with implementation instead of waiting for the finalisation of the entire FTA, he said. Addressing the BIMSTEC Busines