Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation

2021-06-29T16:49:02Z

120.89.64.194: Correction

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ආර්ථික සහයෝගීතාව සඳහා වන එකමුතුව(බිම්ස්ටෙක්)}}

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|linking_name = the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
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|{{flagcountry|Bangladesh}}
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|{{flagcountry|Myanmar}}
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|admin_center_type = [[Secretariat (administrative office)|Secretariat]]
|leader_title2 = Secretary General
|leader_name2 = Tenzin Lekphell (Bhutan)<ref>{{cite news |title=Tenzin Lekphell begins journey as BIMSTEC Secretary General |url=https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/tenzin-lekphell-begins-journey-as-bimstec-secretary-general/60073 |work=UNB |date=6 November 2020 |access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref>
|admin_center = [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Nepal unlikely to host fourth 'Bimstec' summit this year|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/nepal-unlikely-to-host-fourth-bimstec-summit-this-year-116060300847_1.html|website=Business Standard India|access-date=17 December 2016|date=3 June 2016}}</ref>
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|languages = Bengali, Hindi and English
|leader_title1 = Chairmanship
|leader_name1 = {{flagcountry|Sri Lanka}} (since September 2018)<ref name="BIMSTEC2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-meets-myanmar-president-on-the-sidelines-of-bimstec-summit/article24828589.ece| title=BIMSTEC summit ends with Oli presenting Kathmandu declaration| access-date= 31 August 2018}}</ref>
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The '''Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation''' ('''BIMSTEC''') is an international organisation of seven nations of [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]], housing 1.73 billion people and having a combined gross domestic product of $3.8 trillion (2021).<ref name=lead1/><ref name=lead3>[http://bimstec.org/ BIMSTEC]</ref> The BIMSTEC member states – [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], [[India]], [[Myanmar]], [[Nepal]], [[Sri Lanka]], and [[Thailand]]<ref>http://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/economics/regional-economic-integration-the-bay-bengal-660181</ref> – are among the [[countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal]].

Fourteen priority sectors of cooperation have been identified and several BIMSTEC centres have been established to focus on those sectors.<ref name="lead1" /><ref name="lead5" /> A BIMSTEC free trade agreement is under negotiation (c. 2018), also referred to as the mini [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]].

Leadership is rotated in alphabetical order of country names. The permanent secretariat is in [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]].

== Background ==
On 6 June 1997, a new sub-regional grouping was formed in [[Bangkok]] under the name BIST-EC ([[Bangladesh]], [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], and [[Thailand]] Economic Cooperation).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Haidar|first1=Suhasini|title=BIMSTEC a sunny prospect in BRICS summit at Goa|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/bimstec-outreach-likely-to-pep-up-rocky-brics-summit-at-goa/article9224549.ece|access-date=16 October 2016|work=The Hindu|date=15 October 2016|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=BRICS Summit 2016: BIMSTEC members have economic opportunities to share, said Narendra Modi |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/brics-summit-2016-bimstec-members-have-economic-opportunities-to-share-said-narendra-modi/articleshow/54883267.cms|website=The Economic Times|access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref> Following the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the [https://thekootneeti.in/2017/10/12/bimstec-a-desirable-alternative-to-saarc-and-an-extra-feather-to-indias-act-east-policy/ Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC]’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). In 1998, Nepal became an observer. In February 2004, Nepal and [[Bhutan]] become full members.

On 31 July 2004, in the first Summit the grouping was renamed as BIMSTEC or the [[Bay of Bengal]] Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.<ref>See for a detailed historical account of the founding and evolution of BIST-EC and BIMST-EC e.g. Michael, Arndt (2013). India's Foreign Policy and Regional Multilateralism (Palgrave Macmillan), pp. 145–163.</ref>

== Objective ==
There are 14 main sectors of BIMSTEC along technological and economic cooperation among south Asian and southeast Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.

# Trade & Investment
# Transport & Communication
# Energy
# Tourism
# Technology
# Fisheries
# Agriculture
# Public Health
# Poverty Alleviation
# Counter-Terrorism & Transnational Crime
# Environment & Disaster Management
# People-to-People Contact
# Cultural Cooperation
# Climate Change

Sectors 7 to 13 were added at the 8th Ministerial Meeting in Dhaka in 2005 while the 14th sector was added in 11th Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi in 2008.

Member nations are denoted as Lead Countries for each sector.
* Provides cooperation to one another for the provision of training and research facilities in educational vocational and technical fields
* Promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in economic, social, technical and scientific fields of common interest
* Provides help to increase the socio-economic growth of the member countries

== Permanent Secretariat ==
The '''BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat''' at [[Dhaka]] was opened in 2014 and India contributes 32% of its expenditure.<ref name=lead1/><ref name=lead2>{{Cite web |url=http://bimstec.org/area-of-cooperation/ |title=Area of cooperation |access-date=21 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052951/http://bimstec.org/area-of-cooperation/ |archive-date=22 December 2017}}</ref> The current Secretary General of the BIMSTEC is Ambassador Tenzin Lekphell from [[Bhutan]] and the former Secretary General was Mr. Shahidul Islam from [[Bangladesh]]. And First Secretary General was Mr. Sumith Nakandala from [[Sri Lanka]].

== Chairmanship ==
The BIMSTEC uses the alphabetical order for the Chairmanship. The Chairmanship of the BIMSTEC has been taken in rotation commencing with Bangladesh (1997–1999).<ref name="Summit declaration">{{cite web | url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=104505 | title=Third BIMSTEC Summit Declaration | access-date=12 March 2014}}</ref>

== Member nations ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Countries
!Leader Position
![[Head of government]]
![[Head of state]]
![[Population]]
![[Gross domestic product|Nominal GDP]] / {{USD}}billion<ref name="GDP IMF">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2019/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=57&pr.y=17&sy=2019&ey=2019&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C668%2C914%2C672%2C612%2C946%2C614%2C137%2C311%2C546%2C213%2C674%2C911%2C676%2C314%2C548%2C193%2C556%2C122%2C678%2C912%2C181%2C313%2C867%2C419%2C682%2C513%2C684%2C316%2C273%2C913%2C868%2C124%2C921%2C339%2C948%2C638%2C943%2C514%2C686%2C218%2C688%2C963%2C518%2C616%2C728%2C223%2C836%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C624%2C692%2C522%2C694%2C622%2C962%2C156%2C142%2C626%2C449%2C628%2C564%2C228%2C565%2C924%2C283%2C233%2C853%2C632%2C288%2C636%2C293%2C634%2C566%2C238%2C964%2C662%2C182%2C960%2C359%2C423%2C453%2C935%2C968%2C128%2C922%2C611%2C714%2C321%2C862%2C243%2C135%2C248%2C716%2C469%2C456%2C253%2C722%2C642%2C942%2C643%2C718%2C939%2C724%2C734%2C576%2C644%2C936%2C819%2C961%2C172%2C813%2C132%2C726%2C646%2C199%2C648%2C733%2C915%2C184%2C134%2C524%2C652%2C361%2C174%2C362%2C328%2C364%2C258%2C732%2C656%2C366%2C654%2C144%2C336%2C146%2C263%2C463%2C268%2C528%2C532%2C923%2C944%2C738%2C176%2C578%2C534%2C537%2C536%2C742%2C429%2C866%2C433%2C369%2C178%2C744%2C436%2C186%2C136%2C925%2C343%2C869%2C158%2C746%2C439%2C926%2C916%2C466%2C664%2C112%2C826%2C111%2C542%2C298%2C967%2C927%2C443%2C846%2C917%2C299%2C544%2C582%2C941%2C474%2C446%2C754%2C666%2C698&s=NGDPD&grp=0&a= |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019 |date=15 October 2019 |website=IMF.org |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]|access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref>
![[World Bank]]
![[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]]
|-
|{{flag|Bangladesh}}
|Prime minister
|[[Sheikh Hasina]], [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]]
|[[Abdul Hamid (politician)|Abdul Hamid]], [[President of Bangladesh]]
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Bangladesh}}
| align=right | 317.465
|{{y}}
|{{y}}
|-
|{{flag|Bhutan}}
|Prime minister
|[[Lotay Tshering]], [[Prime Minister of Bhutan]]
|[[Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck]], [[King of Bhutan]]
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Bhutan}}
| align=right | 2.842
|{{y}}
|{{y}}
|-
|{{Flag|India}}
|Prime minister
|[[Narendra Modi]], [[Prime Minister of India]]
|[[Ram Nath Kovind]], [[President of India]]
| align=right | {{UN_Population|India}}
| align=right | 2,935.570
|{{y}}
|{{y}}
|-
|{{Flag|Myanmar}}
|President
| colspan="2" |[[Win Myint]], [[President of Myanmar]]
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Myanmar}}
| align=right | 65.994
|{{y}}
|{{n}}
|-
|{{Flag|Nepal}}
|Prime minister
|[[KP Sharma Oli|Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli]], [[Prime Minister of Nepal]]
|[[Bidhya Devi Bhandari]], [[President of Nepal]]
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Nepal}}
| align=right | 29.813
|{{y}}
|{{y}}
|-
|{{Flag|Sri Lanka}}
|President
|[[Mahinda Rajapaksa]], [[Prime Minister of Sri Lanka]]
|[[Gotabaya Rajapaksa]], [[President of Sri Lanka]]
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Sri Lanka}}
| align=right | 86.566
|{{y}}
|{{y}}
|-
|{{Flag|Thailand}}
|Prime minister
|[[Prayut Chan-o-cha]], [[Prime Minister of Thailand]]
|King [[Vajiralongkorn]] (Rama X), [[King of Thailand]]
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Thailand}}
| align=right | 529.177
|{{y}}
|{{n}}
|}

===Heads of the member nations===
<gallery>
File:Sheikh Hasina - 2009.jpg|{{flagicon|Bangladesh}} '''[[Bangladesh]]''' '''[[Sheikh Hasina]]''', [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh|Prime Minister]]
File:Prime Minister of Bhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering on December 28, 2018 (cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|Bhutan}} '''[[Bhutan]]''' '''[[Lotay Tshering]]''', [[List of Prime Ministers of Bhutan|Prime Minister]]
File:PM Modi Portrait(cropped).jpg|{{flagicon|IND}} '''[[India]]''' '''[[Narendra Modi]]''', [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]]
File:Myint Swe on 30 March 2016.jpg|{{flagicon|Myanmar}}'''[[Myanmar]]''' '''[[Myint Swe]]''', [[President of Myanmar|President (acting)]]
File:KP Oli.png|{{flagicon|Nepal}}'''[[Nepal]]''' '''[[KP Sharma Oli|Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli]]''', [[Prime Minister of Nepal|Prime Minister]]
File:Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa.jpg|{{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} '''[[Sri Lanka]]''' '''[[Gotabaya Rajapaksa]]''', [[President of Sri Lanka|President]]
File:Vladimir Putin meeting Prayut Chan-o-cha (2016-05-19)-02 cropped1.jpg|{{flagicon|THA}} '''[[Thailand]]''' '''[[Prayut Chan-o-cha]]''', [[Prime Minister of Thailand|Prime Minister]]
</gallery>

== BIMSTEC priority sectors ==
14 priority areas have been identified with the lead nations appointed to lead the effort:<ref name=lead1>[http://www.indiawrites.org/bimstec-building-bridges-between-south-asia-southeast-asia/ BIMSTEC: Building bridges between South Asia & Southeast Asia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051536/http://www.indiawrites.org/bimstec-building-bridges-between-south-asia-southeast-asia/ |date=22 December 2017 }}, IndiaWrites, 2014.</ref><ref name=lead5>{{Cite web|url=http://bimstec.org/sectors/energy/|title=Energy|website=bimstec.org|language=en-US|access-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206152918/http://bimstec.org/sectors/energy/|archive-date=6 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.bimstec.org/index.php?page=sectors BIMSTC sectors]</ref>
The organisation has 15 priority areas for cooperation, including Trade & Investment, Transport & Communication, Energy, Tourism, Technology, Fisheries, Agriculture, Public Health, Poverty Alleviation, Counter-Terrorism & Transnational Crime, Environment & Disaster Management, People-to-People Contact, Cultural Cooperation, Climate Change and Blue Economy.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Priority Area
! Lead Country
! Centre
! Comments
|-
|| Transport and communication || {{IND}} || ||
|-
|| Tourism || {{IND}} || BIMSTEC Tourism Information Centre, [[Delhi]] ||
|-
|| Counterterrorism and transnational crime || {{IND}} || || Four subgroups: Intelligence sharing – Sri Lanka (lead), Terror financing – Thailand, Legal – Myanmar, Law enforcement and narcotics – {{flag|Myanmar}}
|-
|| Environment and disaster management || {{IND}} || BIMSTEC Weather and Climate Centre, [[Noida]] ||
|-
|| Energy || {{flag|Myanmar}} || BIMSTEC Energy Centre, [[Bengaluru]] || BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection MoU signed in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sasec.asia/index.php?page=news&nid=659&url=india-cabinet-approves-bimstec|title=India Cabinet Approves Signing of BIMSTEC Power Grid Pact {{!}} News {{!}} South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation|website=www.sasec.asia|language=en-US|access-date=6 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-11-06/nepal-to-join-bimstec-grid-interconnection.html|title=Nepal to join BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection|access-date=6 December 2017|language=en}}</ref>
|-
|| Public Health || {{flag|Thailand}} || BIMSTEC Network of Traditional Medicine in India ||
|-
|| Agriculture || {{flag|Myanmar}} || ||
|-
|| Trade & Investment || {{flag|Bangladesh}} || ||
|-
|| Technology || {{flag|Sri Lanka}} || ||
|-
|| Fisheries || {{flag|Thailand}} || ||
|-
|| People-to-People Contact || {{flag|Thailand}} || ||
|-
|| Poverty Alleviation || {{flag|Nepal}} || ||
|-
|| Climate Change || {{flag|Bangladesh}} || ||
|-
|| Cultural Cooperation || {{flag|Bhutan}} || || 1200 ITEC scholarships by India
|}

== BIMSTEC Free Trade Area Framework Agreement ==
The '''BIMSTEC Free Trade Area Framework Agreement (BFTAFA)''' has been signed by all member nations to stimulate trade and investment in the parties, and attract outsiders to trade with and invest in the BIMSTEC countries at a higher level. Subsequently, the ''"Trade Negotiating Committee"'' (TNC) was set up, with Thailand as the permanent chair, to negotiate in areas of trade in goods and services, investment, economic co-operation, trade facilitations and technical assistance for LDCs. Once negotiation on trade in goods is completed, the TNC would then proceed with negotiation on trade in services and investment.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://asianews.eu/content/bimstec-committee-mulls-free-trade-deal-dhaka-85786| title=Bimstec committee mulls free trade deal in Dhaka| date=13 November 2018| access-date=30 March 2019| archive-date=30 March 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330010611/http://asianews.eu/content/bimstec-committee-mulls-free-trade-deal-dhaka-85786| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The '''BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement''' draft was discussed on 1 December 2017 in [[New Delhi]], to facilitate coastal shipping within 20 nautical miles of the coastline in the region to boost trade between the member countries. Compared to the deep sea shipping, coastal ship require smaller vessels with lesser draft and involve lower costs. Once the agreement becomes operational after it is ratified, a lot of cargo movement between the member countries can be done through the cost effective, environment friendly and faster coastal shipping routes.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=174036 |title = BIMSTEC Member States discuss draft text of Coastal Shipping Agreement}}</ref>

On 7 and 8 November 2019, the first ever '''BIMSTEC Conclave of Ports''' summit was held in [[Visakhapatnam]], [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/32010/First+BIMSTEC+Conclave+of+Ports+Vishakhapatnam+November+78+2019 |title = First BIMSTEC Conclave of Ports, Vishakhapatnam (November 7-8, 2019)}}</ref> The main aims of this summit is providing a platform to strengthen maritime interaction, port-led connectivity initiatives and sharing best practices among member countries.

== Cooperation with Asian Development Bank (ADB) ==
The [[Asian Development Bank]] (ADB) becomes a partner in 2005, to undertake the "BIMSTEC Transport Infrastructure and Logistic Study" (BTILS), which was completed in 2014.<ref>[http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/kavita-iyengar-RPDSTCSA-20nov2014.pdf BIMSTEC Transport Infrastructure and Logistic Study]</ref>

==BIMSTEC Summits==
[[File:The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh alongwith the other Heads of State attending the BIMST-EC Summit pose for a group photograph, in New Delhi on November 13, 2008.jpg|thumb|Second Summit at [[New Delhi]], [[India]]]]
[[File:The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh at the third Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on March 04, 2014 (1).jpg|thumb|Third Summit at [[Naypyidaw]], [[Myanmar]]]]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No.
! Date
! Host country
! Host city
|-
| 1st
| 31 July 2004
| {{flag|Thailand}}
| [[Bangkok]]
|-
| 2nd
| 13 November 2008
| {{flag|India}}
| [[New Delhi]]
|-
| 3rd
| 4 March 2014
| {{flag|Myanmar}}
| [[Naypyidaw]]<ref>{{cite web|title=BIMSTEC Summit|url=http://www.bimstec.org/index.php?page=bimstec-summit|website=Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation|access-date=17 December 2016}}</ref>
|-
| 4th
| 30–31 August 2018
| {{flag|Nepal}}
| [[Kathmandu]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Nepal proposes dates for Bimstec Summit |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/nepal-proposes-dates-for-bimstec-summit-118060500116_1.html |website=Business Standard India |access-date=1 July 2018 |date=5 June 2018}}</ref>
|-
| 5th
| 2022
| {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
| [[Colombo]]<ref name="BIMSTEC2018" /><ref name="JJBIMSTECSL">{{cite web|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/4th-bimstec-summit-2018-held-1535606162-1| title=4th BIMSTEC Summit: Kathmandu Declaration adopted by Member States| access-date= 31 August 2018}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Projects ==
* Coast shipping
* Power grid interconnection
* Regional disaster monitoring and warning system
* Road and rail [[India–Myanmar barrier#Look-East Connectivity|Look-East connectivity projects]]

== See also ==
* [[ASEAN]] & [[India–Myanmar barrier#Look-East Connectivity|Look-East connectivity projects]]
* [[Asia Cooperation Dialogue]]
* [[Asian Clearing Union]]
* [[Asian Development Bank]]
* [[BBIN|Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Initiative]] (BBIN)
* [[8th BRICS summit#BRICS-BIMSTEC Summit|BRICS-BIMSTEC Summit, 2016]]
* [[Mekong-Ganga Cooperation]]
* [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] (SAARC)
* [[South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{official website}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130511081102/http://www.bimstec.org/free_trade.html BIMSTEC free trade agreement]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180902220614/https://www.modisarkar.tk/2018/09/2018-bimstec-bay-of-initiative-for.html?m=1 2018 BIMSTEC Summit]

{{Asia topics}}
{{BIMSTEC}}
{{Foreign relations of Bangladesh}}
{{Foreign relations of India}}
{{regional organizations}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:1997 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Bay of Bengal]]
[[Category:Bhutan–India relations]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Bhutan]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of India]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Nepal]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Thailand]]
[[Category:International economic organizations]]
[[Category:International organizations based in Asia]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1997]]

Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation