Diplomatic Correspondent :
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit concluded in Bangkok on Friday with a series of landmark decisions aimed at deepening cooperation among the seven member states as they confront shared security and developmental challenges across the Bay of Bengal region, BIMSTEC Secretariat said on Saturday.
Key outcomes of the summit included the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration and the BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, marking the organisation’s first comprehensive vision document.
These set out a roadmap for achieving a Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC, with a focus on sustainable growth, mutual respect, and regional integration.
In a move to enhance regional connectivity, BIMSTEC members signed a significant Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation, enabling greater trade and travel across the region’s waters.
The summit also saw the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to strengthen collaboration in shared priority areas.
Another milestone was the adoption of Rules of Procedure for BIMSTEC’s institutional mechanisms, providing structure and consistency to its operations in tandem with the BIMSTEC Charter.
Leaders also endorsed the Report of the Eminent Persons Group, which offers critical recommendations for reforming and revitalizing the organization.
The summit expressed deep solidarity with Myanmar and Thailand following the March 28 earthquake through a Joint Statement, reaffirming regional commitment to disaster response and resilience-building.
Throughout the summit, leaders emphasised the need to accelerate intra-regional trade and investment, improve connectivity, promote tourism and cultural exchange, and address critical areas such as food security, climate change, green energy, and disaster management.
In his address, BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey highlighted the progress made since the 5th Summit in Colombo (2022).
He sought their guidance to further advance the BIMSTEC agenda for the greater benefit of the region and reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to working closely with the member States to strengthen regional cooperation under BIMSTEC.
At the conclusion of the summit, Bangladesh assumed the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC. Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, pledged full cooperation in taking BIMSTEC forward.
He reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to working collaboratively with other member States to take BIMSTEC cooperation forward.
As BIMSTEC’s highest policymaking body, the Summit plays a pivotal role in setting organization’s strategic direction and priorities.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly complex and uncertain global political and economic landscape, the 6th BIMSTEC Summit reaffirmed BIMSTEC’s critical role in forging regional cooperation to enable the member States to deal with their shared security and sustainable development challenges.
With institutional reforms already underway, BIMSTEC is poised to evolve into a vibrant and dynamic regional organization for advancing peace, prosperity and resilience in the Bay of Bengal region.
BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
It pursues regional cooperation in seven broad sectors: Agriculture and Food Security; Connectivity; Environment and Climate Change; People-to-People Contact; Science, Technology and Innovation; Security; and Trade, Investment and Development.
The cooperation also covers eight sub-sectors: Blue Economy, Mountain Economy, Energy, Disaster Management, Fisheries and Livestock, Poverty Alleviation, Health, and Human Resource Development.
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit was held on 04 April 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand. It was preceded by 25th BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting on April 02 and 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on April 03.
The 6th Summit was attended by: Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of People’s Republic of Bangladesh; Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Kingdom of Bhutan; Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Republic of India; Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of State Administration Council and Prime Minister of Republic of the Union of Myanmar; KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal; Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka; and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
