Academics, policy makers, journalists and other stakeholders involved in cross-national issues related to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will gather in Kolkata, India this week.
The forum from November 28 to 29 will discuss and analyse the brand value of BIMSTEC and its opportunities for wider collaborations and focus on understanding the prevalent narratives within BIMSTEC. The event named ‘Kolkata Colloquium-Re-imagining BIMSTEC’ has been organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), an independent think tank in India in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation, New Delhi.
“Strong BIMSTEC can be a good stepping stone for cooperation in broader Indo-Pacific construction,” says Dr. Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, Senior Fellow and Programme Coordinator, ORF, Kolkata.
She adds, “When the whole world is at a critical strategic crossroads the BIMSTEC in its own way has an opportunity to show some direction.”
The forum is divided into three main business sessions - Connecting nations within BIMSTEC; Climate Change, Disaster Management and BIMSTEC; and Enhancing trade and cultural interactions: Engaging members in BIMSTEC.
Meanwhile the 2nd meeting of the BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee (BPWC) hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was held in Colombo in October. Sri Lanka is the current chair of BIMSTEC. The deliberations were attended by all BIMSTEC Member States namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the BIMSTEC Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by P.M. Amza Additional Secretary, Economic Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha noted with concern that BIMSTEC which entered its third decade, is yet to reap benefits of the full socio-economic potential of the region – with intra- regional trade at only 3.7% and investment approximately 5%. He urged delegations to actively seek to understand what holds the organization back – imagination, resources or political will. As current BIMSTEC Chair, Sri Lanka saw as crucial re-energizing the organization, the early finalization of the BIMSTEC Charter and the rationalization of the sectors in order to maximize utilization of resources and to make BIMSTEC a result oriented organization delivering tangible benefits to all its people. Sri Lanka will forge closer cooperation, especially in the areas of counter terrorism and transnational crimes. He also emphasized the importance of BIMSTEC working closely with various international organizations such as the IORA, ASEAN and the ADB.
0 comments: