MK: What are the key priorities and expected outcomes of the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand?

SG: First let me thank you for this interview. I am delighted to have this conversation with you and with your audience. The Summit, which is just 10 days away, will be an important Summit as it is the  first in-person Summit after the Kathmandu Summit in 2018, because the 5th Summit held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was in virtual mode. Apart from adopting the Declaration of the Summit, the leaders are also going to adopt the vision for BIMSTEC called “BIMSTEC Vision 2030, that will pave the road for future cooperation among the BIMSTEC member States. We had our Charter coming into force last year in May and now our Leaders are going to adopt the Rules of Procedures for our organization. So, that will be a very important decision by our Leaders. 

Similarly, we had an Eminent Persons Group working last year and they have submitted their report to the Foreign Ministers. Now our Leaders are going to adopt that report of the Eminent Persons Group. Here I would like to mention that we have already started implementing the Report even before it has been adopted by our Leaders. There will be a signing ceremony for some Memoranda of Understanding between BIMSTEC and its partners. Also, we are expecting that there will be a ceremony for signing the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation. There is also a plan for virtual inauguration of BIMSTEC Energy Centre, which has already been set up and is going to be operational soon.  

MK: How does BIMSTEC plan to strengthen regional cooperation in the face of global economic challenges?

SG: The global economic challenges do impact on all our member States and our member States take steps to deal with those challenges.  However, they believe that regional cooperation can help them in dealing with those challenges in its own way. BIMSTEC has a very comprehensive Agenda. We have 15 sectors and sub-sectors of cooperation on our agenda, and they cover most of the sustainable development goals. So, if we are able to expand cooperation under our various agenda items, it will help our member States realize their sustainable development goals and directly and indirectly. It will also enable them to deal with the challenges that they face whether they are economic or social challenges.

MK: With PM Modi expected to attend the summit, what role do you see India playing in shaping BIMSTEC’s future direction?

SG: India, together with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand, was a founding member of BIMSTEC and it has continued to play an important role in shaping the Agenda and the nature of cooperation within the BIMSTEC, together with other member States. The way we have structured our cooperation, each member State has been given responsibility to lead the cooperation in one or more sectors. For example, Bangladesh has been given the responsibility to lead regional cooperation in Trade, Investment, Development and Blue Economy, whereas India has the responsibility to lead cooperation in sectors like Security, Disaster Management and Energy. So, in both disaster management and energy, India has taken the initiative, for example, of setting-up centers of excellence. So, there is a BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate, which assists our member States in climate and weather forecasting. As I mentioned earlier, the BIMSTEC Energy Centre is being set up for promoting collaboration in energy sector. We are also working towards interconnection of electricity grids, which will contribute to energy security and green transition of our member States. So, India is working together with other member States and has been very supportive of BIMSTEC. I would like to mention two more initiatives of India. In 2016, when India had hosted the BRICS Summit, it had invited BIMSTEC Leaders for a retreat which gave a new momentum to regional cooperation. In 2022 Prime Minister Modi had announced a grant of 1 million dollar for BIMSTEC and it has helped us in strengthening the institutional framework of BIMSTEC. So, India, as I said, together with other members, has been trying to strengthen BIMSTEC, because it believes that regional cooperation through BIMSTEC will be helpful for all our member States.

MK: Bangladesh has reportedly approached India for a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. How significant is this meeting for regional diplomacy?

SG: The secretariat is not directly or indirectly involved in the meetings which our Leaders will have on bilateral basis. So, we are not aware of what our Leaders are planning to do on a bilateral basis with other Leaders. However, the Summit gives an opportunity for Leaders to have conversations and express their collective commitment to BIMSTEC. So, we are hoping that all our Leaders will reiterate their political commitment to strengthening BIMSTEC at the Summit and that’s what we are looking forward to.

MK: Could BIMSTEC facilitate enhanced cooperation between India and Bangladesh on trade, security, and connectivity?

SG: I am glad you asked this question because strengthening intra-regional trade, security cooperation and connectivity has been on BIMSTECs agenda from the very beginning and we have been able to progress in all three sectors. In Connectivity Sector, we have adopted a Master Plan for Connectivity. There is Agreement among the member States to take initiatives to complete the projects within their own territories in order to enhance connectivity with other member States. In trade, we have already signed a Framework Agreement on FTA and we are also going to focus on promoting other areas of interactions like business-to-business interaction, more meetings between our business leaders. We are looking at completion of negotiations for free trade, trade in services, investments. All these measures will help all the countries to enhance intra-regional trade. Naturally, the trade between Bangladesh and India will also get a positive momentum by all these measures and our effort has been to encourage all our member States to trade more with each other. So, directly or indirectly, what we are trying to do in BIMSTEC will help our member States to enhance intra-regional trade.

MK: How does BIMSTEC plan to improve its institutional framework to make regional cooperation more effective?

SG: I just mentioned to you that we had last year, an Eminent Persons Group working to prepare Report on the state of cooperation within BIMSTEC, including the institutional framework that we have, the cooperation that we have in different sectors.It consulted a number of stakeholders and then it prepared its comprehensive report, which contains a number of key recommendations to reform and revitalize BIMSTEC. As I mentioned to you, our member States are very keen to reform and revitalize BIMSTEC, so that it can play the role that it has been expected to and, in this regard, they have already started taking steps to implement the recommendations contained in the Report even before the report is adopted by our Leaders at the Summit. So, member States are very keen to undertake some of the essential institutional reforms to strengthen regional cooperation through BIMSTEC. And, I am very hopeful that once we go through these reform steps, BIMSTEC will be in a better position to meet the expectations of our member States.

MK: Thank you so much!

SG: It is my pleasure speaking to you and to your audience, Thank you, Sir!

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