{"id":123649,"date":"2024-07-29T19:10:45","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T13:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=123649"},"modified":"2024-07-30T22:30:13","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T17:00:13","slug":"2nd-bimstec-foreign-ministers-retreat","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/2nd-bimstec-foreign-ministers-retreat","title":{"rendered":"2nd BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers\u2019 Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently,<\/span><b> India hosted the 2nd <a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/bay-of-bengal-initiative-for-multi-sectoral-technical-and-economic-cooperation-bimstec\/\">BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)<\/a> Foreign Ministers\u2019 Retreat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>focused on providing an \u201cinformal platform to discuss ways and means of cooperating and accelerating action<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in security, connectivity, trade, and investment within the Bay of Bengal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Crucial Insights on the Recent Retreat<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The retreat was held in preparation for the<\/span><b> sixth summit meeting, scheduled for September, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in which the <\/span><b>BIMSTEC leaders will meet in person for the first time in the post-pandemic era.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are also<\/span><b> expected to sign the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation to improve regional connectivity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a foundational aim of this grouping.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>About Parts of the Retreat: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The retreat was divided into following <\/span><b>two parts:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9987%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>First Segment<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Assessment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Participants assessed the <\/span><b>current state of regional cooperation within BIMSTEC,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> building on a presentation by India on the implementation of key outcomes of the 1st Retreat.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sharing of Multiple Ideas:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Multiple ideas were shared by the member states <\/span><b>including the establishment of Centers of Excellence in member states, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">focusing on Agriculture, Disaster Management, and Maritime Transport.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Support Announced by India:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For <\/span><b>cancer research, treatment, and issuance of e-visas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for patients of all BIMSTEC states, while <\/span><b>Sri Lanka proposed the inclusion of kidney disease.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Need Felt: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For<\/span><b> involving the private sector<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in trade and <\/span><b>promoting young entrepreneurs <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was also highlighted and also for the <\/span><b>importance of connectivity, cyber-security, and countering the trafficking of narcotics and illegal arms.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.098%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Second Segment<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A Segment of Expectations and Proposals: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expectations of each country from the forthcoming summit were discussed and these proposals will be presented to the heads of state before the September summit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sri Lanka: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It underscored the <\/span><b>need to map mineral resources <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">found in abundance in the BIMSTEC countries and <\/span><b>create opportunities for the vertical integration <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of stages of production within specific sectors in the economies of the countries, enabling them to <\/span><b>diversify their production structure.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bangladesh: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It highlighted the need for<\/span><b> cooperation in the Blue Economy <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and urged member states to<\/span><b> ban fishing during the breeding season<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to address the problem of depleting catch in the Bay.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bhutan: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It expounded on the need for <\/span><b>collaboration in tourism and cultural exchanges.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Nepal: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It highlighted its<\/span><b> \u2018whole of the region\u2019 approach <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to leverage synergies among member states and transform BIMSTEC into <\/span><b>a results-oriented regional forum.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Thailand: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It underscored the need for <\/span><b>cooperation in non-traditional security domains.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Myanmar:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It added the need to <\/span><b>combat online scamming <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to the list.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.299%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Bilateral Merits:\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the retreat was a multilateral milestone for India, it had its bilateral merits too.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Myanmar: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Myanmar, India shared its concerns over the<\/span><b> flow of displaced persons, narcotics, and arms <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">across the border and urged for the<\/span><b> return of unlawfully detained Indians.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bangladesh: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Bangladesh, India requested to <\/span><b>ensure the smooth supply of daily essentials <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and send <\/span><b>a technical team for the Teesta project<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Access to the Sea: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthening ties with Bangladesh and Myanmar accords India the advantage of providing its <\/span><b>landlocked north-eastern region<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with access to the sea.<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved ties with<\/span><b> Myanmar and Thailand<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will also lend India the opportunity to have a more profound presence in the Indo-Pacific, as it holds the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations), in which these two countries are members, to be of central importance in its vision of the<\/span><b> Indo-Pacific<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>About BIMSTEC<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC is a regional organisation of seven Member States lying in the<\/span><b> littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cooperating across seven diverse sectors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-123640 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/291-66a795a968bdd.webp\" alt=\"BIMSTEC \" width=\"355\" height=\"514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/291-66a795a968bdd.webp 550w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/291-66a795a968bdd-207x300.webp 207w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Formation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It was founded as <\/span><b>BIST-EC, in June 1997<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with the adoption of the <\/span><b>Bangkok Declaration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand as members.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It became <\/span><b>BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with the entry of <\/span><b>Myanmar in late 1997. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And eventually, it was named in its current form, when <\/span><b>Nepal and Bhutan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> became members in<\/span><b> 2004.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Secretariat: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dhaka, Bangladesh<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Membership: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has a total of<\/span><b> seven<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> member countries:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Five<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from<\/span><b> South Asia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including <\/span><b>Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>Sri Lanka<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Two<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from <\/span><b>Southeast Asia, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">including <\/span><b>Myanmar <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><b> Thailand<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Founding Principles: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Principle of Sovereign Equality, Territorial Integrity, Political Independence, Non-interference in Internal Affairs and Peaceful Coexistence and Mutual Benefit.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Aim:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC aims to<\/span><b> counter the onslaught of globalisation by accelerating regional growth through mutual cooperation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by utilising regional resources and geographical advantages.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was not about creating a new region for cooperation but <\/span><b>to revive the connectivity and common interests <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the members of the Bay of Bengal region.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bay of Bengal region was one of the <\/span><b>world\u2019s most integrated regions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> until the early twentieth century, but<\/span><b> after the 1940s, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when members of the region became independent and pursued separate goals and alliance systems, \u201cthe region\u2019s sense of community has almost completely eroded\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-123641 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/292-66a795a882721.webp\" alt=\"BIMSTEC \" width=\"501\" height=\"387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/292-66a795a882721.webp 747w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/292-66a795a882721-300x232.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px\" \/><b>Distinctive Features of BIMSTEC:\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Division of Responsibilities: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Goals and areas of cooperation are divided among member states.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Example:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has previously been responsible for sectors such as transportation, tourism, and counter-terrorism within BIMSTEC.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Sector-Driven Organisation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Unlike many other regional groupings, BIMSTEC is a sector-driven cooperative organisation. <\/span><b>Six areas of focus <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under BIMSTEC are \u2014<\/span><b>trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Priority Areas: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC has identified <\/span><b>14 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">priority areas: <\/span><b>Trade &#038; Investment, Transport &#038; Communication, Energy, Tourism, Technology, Fisheries, Agriculture, Public Health, Poverty Alleviation, Counter-Terrorism &#038; Transnational Crime, Environment &#038; Disaster Management, People-to-People Contact, Cultural Cooperation.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>&#8216;Climate Change&#8217; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was added as the 14th priority area of cooperation in 2008.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among these priority areas, <\/span><b>a member country chooses which of the 14 priority areas it is willing to take lead.<\/b>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><b>India is the lead country for Transport &#038; Communication, Tourism, Environment &#038; Disaster Management and Counter-Terrorism &#038; Transnational Crime.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span style=\"font-size: 15pt;\"><b>Working Mechanism of BIMSTEC:<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under BIMSTEC, Policy making would be done through two types of meetings:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Summits,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which are supposed to be held every two years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Ministerial meetings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of Foreign and Commerce Ministers of member countries for deciding on trade and economic affairs, to be held once every year.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An<\/span><b> operational meeting of senior officials<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to monitor the activities of the grouping is also supposed to be held twice a year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>BIMSTEC Working Group: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC has a coordinating body called the BIMSTEC Working Group, which has a<\/span><b> rotating chairman <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">based on which member country chairs the organisation.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under this, meetings are to be held monthly at the Dhaka secretariat to review the progress of the regional grouping.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Business Forum &#038; Economic Forum<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It ensures active participation of the private sector.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Significance of BIMSTEC<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The group has a combined population of<\/span><b> 1.8 billion, or about 22% <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the global population and its<\/span><b> combined GDP was $4.5 trillion as of 2022<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which was about 4.4% of world GDP, per <\/span><b>World Bank data. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per UNCTAD, the states had <\/span><b>a combined external trade of $1.95 trillion,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><b>about 6% <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of world trade.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Bridge between South and South-East Asia: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The regional group constitutes a bridge between South and South East Asia and represents a reinforcement of relations among these countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Aligns With India\u2019s Vision:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC represents the intersection of <\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>India\u2019s \u2018Neighbourhood First\u2019 outlook, the \u2018Act East Policy\u2019, and the SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> vision.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Security Cooperation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shared security challenges such as terrorism and piracy necessitate cooperation among member states.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India plays a key role in fostering security cooperation through<\/span><b> joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and capacity-building initiatives.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Trade Potential:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC is important owing to the land and maritime trade potential of the member countries. There is <\/span><b>potential for a Free Trade Agreement within BIMSTEC.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Disaster Management and Climate Change: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bay of Bengal region is highly vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change impacts. BIMSTEC offers a framework for regional cooperation in disaster management and climate change mitigation.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India can lead efforts to <\/span><b>enhance regional preparedness and resilience.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Countering China: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and instead follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognised international norms.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">China has undertaken a massive drive to finance and build infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative in almost all BIMSTEC countries except Bhutan and India. The Chinese projects are widely seen as violating these norms.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Others:\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Connectivity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Enhancing regional connectivity is its key focus and projects like the <\/span><b>Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">aim to improve connectivity. Improved connectivity will further <\/span><b>boost trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other examples of connectivity are <\/span><b>ASIAN Trilateral Highway, BBIN motor vehicle agreement, etc.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Energy Cooperation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC also provides a platform for regional energy cooperation as the Bay of Bengal region is rich in natural resources.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initiatives like the <\/span><b>BIMSTEC Energy Centre and a regional energy grid <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contribute to energy security and sustainability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Multilateral Engagement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It allows India to engage multilaterally with the other countries of the Bay of Bengal region, which are its eastern neighbours and therefore vital for its <\/span><b>economic development, security, and foreign policy imperatives.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India also remains intent on solidifying relations with its eastern neighbours as China\u2019s growing presence in the Bay of Bengal poses a potential threat to<\/span><b> regional stability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and India\u2019s position as<\/span><b> a preferred security partner.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-123642\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/293-66a795a7dc2be.webp\" alt=\"BIMSTEC \" width=\"650\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/293-66a795a7dc2be.webp 780w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/293-66a795a7dc2be-300x201.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/293-66a795a7dc2be-768x515.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Challenges with BIMSTEC<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following challenges have been faced by BIMSTEC that need to be tackled:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Sluggish Pace:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lack of efficiency and \u201csluggish\u201d pace of BIMSTEC\u2019s progress.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> inconsistency in holding policy making and operational meetings<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also a concern.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The focus of BIMSTEC is very wide, including 14 areas of cooperation like connectivity, public health, agriculture. It is suggested that BIMSTEC should remain committed to small focus areas and cooperate in them efficiently.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Financial and Human Resources Crunch:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC secretariat also suffers from inadequate financial and manpower assistance for its operational activities.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initiatives had been undertaken for the creation of a <\/span><b>BIMSTEC Development Fund<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> intended to ease the planning, and implementation of projects and programmes under the various cooperation areas, it is <\/span><b>yet to be implemented.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC has a limited<\/span><b> budget (approximately US$ 200,000)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><b> delayed implementation of the Development Fund.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Absence of Connected Coastal Ecosystem: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC members are yet to build a shared and lucrative coastal shipment ecosystem and also grapple with frequent detention of fishermen who cross territorial borders.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>China Factor: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The formation of another sub-regional initiative beside China\u2019s ambitious <\/span><b>Belt and Road Initiative, the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Forum, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with the proactive membership of China, has created <\/span><b>more doubts about the exclusive potential of BIMSTEC.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Trade Challenges:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India\u2019s percentage of annual trade with BIMSTEC countries as a percentage of its total foreign trade was in the double digits in the 1950s, but was just<\/span><b> 4% as of 2020.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was also seen that a lot of the time, BIMSTEC member countries do not import goods that are manufactured and exported by other members, instead <\/span><b>importing from other non-member countries.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC members have <\/span><b>not adopted a Free Trade Agreement yet,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they are involved in multiple bilateral and multilateral free trade, preferential trade and economic cooperation agreements with other countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Others: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC countries today face high <\/span><b>anti-globalisation measures, the Russia \u2013 Ukraine war and new threats, disruption of supply chains, unavailability of emerging and critical technologies, climate change and environmental issues and\u00a0 maritime security issues.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Bilateral Issues between Member Nations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bangladesh is facing one of the worst refugee crises of Rohingyas from Myanmar who are fleeing persecution in the state of Rakhine in Myanmar. There is a border conflict between Myanmar and Thailand.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>India and Nepal <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have border disputes over<\/span><b> Kalapani &#8211; Limpiyadhura &#8211; Lipulekh trijunction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between India-Nepal and China and <\/span><b>Susta area, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">West Champaran district, Bihar.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regional integration is no longer an option but an essential part of a national policy in this age of shared challenges such as trade protectionism, war, climate issues, and energy security, among others. Also, BIMSTEC can<\/span><b> draw lessons from ASEAN&#8217;s success<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in multilateral cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Trade:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is high time that instead of completing other pillars, BIMSTEC countries <\/span><b>implement the goods component of the FTA which has been negotiated already.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC countries need to <\/span><b>re-work for simplification and harmonisation of customs procedures, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">technical regulations, standards, and SPS measures, in administrative fees and charges,<\/span><b> transparency of laws, regulations, and administrative rulings,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> risk management systems, and <\/span><b>digitalization<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in trade procedures.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Faster Mobility: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC countries may negotiate a BIMSTEC Railway Agreement. Along with it, a regional air transportation agreement in cargo and passenger services will lead to promoting faster mobility of goods and services like <\/span><b>tourism, health, and education.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Attention on Exchange of Energy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The region is going to face many new challenges in the next 25 years including those that are related to <\/span><b>climate and biodiversity.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC countries should work together on<\/span><b> emission reduction, energy efficiency, and renewable energy targets.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Digital Connectivity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s United Payments Interface could be a great lead for other BIMSTEC countries. Digital connectivity is a new hope for BIMSTEC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Common Transit System: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC Customs Transit System (BCTS) may offer strong catalytic power not only to facilitate trade among BIMSTEC but also to improve the region\u2019s competitiveness.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BCTS may help BIMSTEC countries with <\/span><b>a single vehicle, a single transit, a single bank guarantee, and a single Customs declaration.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bay of Bengal countries also need <\/span><b>development partners like Japan who can provide investment, technology, and infrastructure.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Roadmap for Capacity Building: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The BIMSTEC Secretariat has been entrusted to come out with Plans of Action for the region in view of the reorganisation of priority areas of cooperation. With increased resources, there is now a need to develop a roadmap for capacity building of the BIMSTEC Secretariat.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Secretariat needs to be <\/span><b>adequately resourced and has sufficient delegated powers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to fulfil its role as a coordinator of activities across BIMSTEC members.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Others:\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Develop Connectivity Projects:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Indian government should expedite the implementation of connectivity projects, such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, to facilitate trade and movement. This will <\/span><b>not only enhance economic ties but also improve regional stability.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Deepening Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BIMSTEC member countries should focus on deepening cooperation in various sectors such as<\/span><b> trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, fisheries, security, counterterrorism, disaster management, and energy.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Dispute Resolution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BIMSTEC can formulate a dispute-resolution mechanism, which operates on the principles of deliberation and consensus.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This year marks a decade of<\/span><b> India\u2019s Act East and Neighbourhood First policies, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and the thrust on <\/span><b>BIMSTEC <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a manifestation of <\/span><b>India\u2019s efforts to continue nurturing collaborative growth for national and regional well-being.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.1%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>About Bangkok Vision 2030<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bangkok Vision 2030 would be an <\/span><b>overarching kind of document to guide BIMSTEC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> towards a prosperous, resilient and open region by 2030.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goals found in the vision are also<\/span><b> in line with the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and Thailand\u2019s bio-circular-green economic model.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.03%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 137.924%; 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