Heading nowhere?

BIMSTEC's future remains uncertain as regional conflicts, political instabilities, and China's influence challenge the group's agenda, despite strides in connectivity and security cooperation and India's push for closer intra-group ties

- PRABHU DAYAL

In 1999, Thomas Friedman, the renowned columnist and author, wrote that the world had gone from a system built around walls to a system increasingly built around networks. This has been the rationale behind the emergence of numerous regional groupings such as the European Economic Community, ASEAN, the African Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Union of South American Nations, Mercosur, and a host of other regional organizations.

The need for regional cooperation was felt in South Asia too, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, was established in December 1985 with the objective of working together to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia. However, SAARC failed to promote regional cooperation.

Against this background, India looked for another regional organization to act as the vehicle for regional cooperation. The Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was established in June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. The organization is now known as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and comprises seven Member States with the admission of Myanmar in December 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004.

BIMSTEC enjoys the unique potential of connecting South and South-East Asia. For India, BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its 'Neighbourhood First' outlook, the 'Act East Policy', and the 'SAGAR' vision. Each of these endeavors has a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, where collaborative potential has long remained underrealized.

India has repeatedly emphasized that it remains committed to further building the momentum of regional cooperation under the framework of BIMSTEC and making it a stronger, vibrant, and result-oriented grouping.