What Is BIMSTEC?

BIMSTEC
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What is BIMSTEC?
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) is a regional multilateral organisation.
Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a
contiguous regional unity.
Out of the 7 members,
Five are from South Asia –
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Two are from Southeast Asia –
Myanmar
Thailand
BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia, but also the ecologies of the
Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.
It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development;
accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest
in the region.
Genesis of BIMSTEC
This sub-regional organization came into being in 1997 through the Bangkok
Declaration.
Initially, it was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’
(Bangladesh, India, Sri-Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
It became renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ in 1997, following the inclusion of Myanmar.
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With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan in 2004, the name of the grouping was
changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC).
Objectives
Creating an enabling environment for the rapid economic development of the sub-
region.
Encouraging the spirit of equality and partnership.
Promoting active collaboration and mutual assistance in the areas of common
interests of the member countries
Accelerating support for each other in the fields of education, science, and technology,
etc.
Principles of BIMSTEC
Sovereign Equality
Territorial Integrity
Political Independence
No-interference in Internal Affairs
Peaceful Co- existence
Mutual Benefit
Constitute an addition to and not be a substitute for bilateral, regional or multilateral
cooperation involving the Member States.
Potential
Bridge between South and South East Asia and represents a reinforcement of
relations among these countries.
Platform for intra-regional cooperation between SAARC and ASEAN members.
Home to around 1.5 billion people that constitute around 22% of the global
population.
With a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.7 trillion economy, BIMSTEC
Member States have been able to sustain an average 6.5% economic growth trajectory
in the last five years.
A fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the bay every year.
Important Connectivity Projects:
Kaladan Multimodal Project – links India and Myanmar.
Asian Trilateral Highway - connecting India and Thailand through Myanmar.
Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement - for seamless
flow of passenger and cargo traffic.
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Significance for India
Allows India to pursue three core policies:
Neighborhood First - primacy to the country’s immediate periphery;
Act East - connect India with Southeast Asia; and
Economic development of India’s northeastern states – by linking them to the
Bay of Bengal region via Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Allows India to counter China’s creeping influence in countries around the Bay of
Bengal due to the spread of its Belt and Road Initiative.
A new platform for India to engage with its neighbors with South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) becoming dysfunctional because of differences
between India and Pakistan.
Areas of Cooperation
Trade and Investment
Technology
Energy
Transportation and Communication
Tourism
Fisheries
Agriculture
Cultural Cooperation
Environment and Disaster Management
Public Health
People-to-People Contact
Poverty Alleviation
Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime
Climate Change
Institutional Mechanisms
BIMSTEC Summit – highest policymaking body in BIMSTEC process and is comprised
of heads of state/government of member states.
Ministerial Meeting – second apex policy-making forum of BIMSTEC attended by the
External/Foreign Ministers of Member States.
Senior Officials’ Meeting – represented by Senior Officials of Foreign Ministries of
the Member States.
BIMSTEC Working Group – attended by Ambassadors of BIMSTEC Member Countries
to Bangladesh or their representatives on a monthly basis at the BIMSTEC Secretariat
in Dhaka.
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Business Forum & Economic Forum – the two important forums to ensure active
participation of private sector.
Challenges
Though largely devoid of bilateral tensions, as is the case in SAARC, BIMSTEC does not seem
to have made much progress.
Inconsistency in Meetings: BIMSTEC planned to hold summits every two years,

ministerial meetings every year, but only four summits have taken place in 20 years
upto 2018.
Neglect by member states: It seems that India has used BIMSTEC only when it fails
to work through SAARC in the regional setting and other major members like Thailand
and Myanmar are focused more towards ASEAN than BIMSTEC.
Broad Focus Areas: The focus of BIMSTEC is very wide, including 14 areas of
cooperation like connectivity, public health, agriculture etc. It is suggested that
BIMSTEC should remain committed to small focus areas and cooperate in them
efficiently.
Bilateral Issues between Member Nations: Bangladesh is facing one of the worst
refugee crisis of Rohingyas from Myanmar who are fleeing prosecution in the state of
Rakhine in Myanmar. There is a border conflict between Myanmar and Thailand.
No FTA: BIMSTEC FTA was negotiated in 2004, talks on it are yet to be concluded.
BCIM: The formation of another sub-regional initiative, the Bangladesh-China-India-
Myanmar (BCIM) Forum, with the proactive membership of China, has created more
doubts about the exclusive potential of BIMSTEC.
Utility SAARC vs BIMSTEC
SAARC BIMSTEC
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1. A regional organisation 1. Interregional organisation connecting South
looking into South Asia Asia and South East Asia.
2. Established in 1985 during the 2. Established in 1997 in the post-Cold War.

cold war era.
3. Members maintain reasonably friendly
3. Member countries suffer for relations.
mistrust and suspicion.
4. Core objective is the improvement of
4. Suffers from regional politics. economic cooperation among countries.
5. Asymmetric power balance. 5. Balancing of power with the presence of

Thailand and India on the bloc.
6. Intra-regional trade only 5
percent. 6. Intra-regional trade has increased around 6
precent in a decade.
Way forward
Since the BIMSTEC region is notable for its diversity, the member states need to build
on the regional synergies and work towards utilising the available resources in the
most optimal manner.
This would help build a stronger and a more dynamic BIMSTEC.
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BIMSTEC

Inconsistency in Meetings: BIMSTEC planned to hold summits every two years,

Utility SAARC vs BIMSTEC

2. Established in 1985 during the 2. Established in 1997 in the post-Cold War.

5. Asymmetric power balance. 5. Balancing of power with the presence of

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