At Bangkok, Thailand
The Third Meeting of National Security Chiefs of BIMSTEC Member States was hosted by Thailand in Bangkok on 21 March 2019.
Major General (retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, rcds, psc, Security Affairs Adviser to the Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh; Mr. Sonam Topgay, Secretary, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of Bhutan; Mr. Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser of India; Mr. U Thaung Tun, Union Minister of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and National Security Advisor to the Union Government of Myanmar; Mr. Sarbendra Khanal, Inspector General of Nepal Police; Brig H.K.A.C.R Kodithuwakku RWP RSP USP Isc, Director, Military Intelligence of Sri Lanka and Ambassador M. Shahidul Islam, Secretary General of BIMSTEC participated in the meeting. The meeting was chaired by General Wanlop Rugsanaoh, Secretary-General of the National Security Council of Thailand. They also called on General Prayut Chan-Ocha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.
The Meeting reviewed the progress on the Report of the Second Meeting of BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 28 March 2018 and the functioning of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (JWG-CTTC) and its Sub-Groups.
As way forward of BIMSTEC Security Cooperation, the Meeting agreed to pool their collective resources to upgrade capacities in training, equipment, R&D and sharing of experiences to better deal with emerging threats.
The National Security Chiefs expressed satisfaction on progress made with regard to ratification of BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking. The meeting also noted the readiness of the Member States to sign the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
