‘India advances neighbourhood first and Act East policies..,’ says S Jaishankar

On July 17, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar participated in the inaugural BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand. The retreat brought together foreign ministers from all seven BIMSTEC member countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, which currently holds the chairmanship of BIMSTEC.

During the meeting, discussions centered around India’s foreign policy, which includes the Neighbourhood First and Act East Policy, with a particular focus on strengthening relations with countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the BIMSTEC Retreat, the Foreign Ministers emphasized the significance of engaging in discussions and collaborating on global and United Nations-related matters, such as the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing climate change. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry released a statement reflecting this shared perspective.

Various other topics were also addressed during the retreat, including BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection, advancements in agriculture technology, fostering cultural cooperation, promoting youth exchange programs, and enhancing diplomatic training. The participating countries showed unanimous agreement on the importance of establishing crisis response mechanisms to effectively coordinate and manage various contingencies that may arise in the region.

“There was a broad agreement on the importance of creating crisis response mechanisms to coordinate for different contingencies. Food, public health, energy, financial security, as well as trade and economic cooperation, were at the core of the discussions as well,” Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement read.

It further said that the meeting also considered establishing digital payment systems and trade settlements, as well as strengthening cooperation in cyber security and prevention of transnational crimes.”

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Don Pramudwinai, chaired the Retreat, which saw the participation of Foreign Ministers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

During the Retreat, the Ministers reached a consensus to conduct such gatherings on a regular basis, preferably in the first quarter of each year. Moreover, India extended an invitation to host the next BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting, which is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September 2023.

On July 16, the External Affairs minister had co-chaired the 12th Mekong Ganga Cooperation meeting in Bangkok along with his Lao PDR counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith.

In the meeting, Jaishankar prioritised the implementation of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.

During the meeting, the decision was made to establish a Mekong Ganga Cooperation Business Council with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation and expanding exchanges in agriculture, science and technology, as well as water resource management.

Additionally, the participants explored new avenues for development partnership, including the implementation of Quick Impact Projects, and furthered cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism. Museum-based collaboration was also discussed as part of their joint initiatives.

The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, founded in November 2000, consists of six member countries: India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The cooperation primarily focuses on areas such as tourism, culture, education, transportation, and museum-based initiatives.

(With inputs from ANI)

Updated: 19 Jul 2023, 01:13 PM IST