PM Modi addressing the 5th BIMSTEC summit says “India will contribute one million US dollars to the (BIMSTEC) secretariat’s operational budget… It is critical to boost the capacity of the (BIMSTEC) secretariat… I propose that the Secretary-General develop a road map for this.”
The summit conference was held virtually hosted by Sri Lanka, the current chair of the seven-country grouping. On March 28, BIMSTEC Senior Officials (SOM) met to prepare for the Summit, followed by BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers (BMM) meetings on March 29.
The BIMSTEC Summit is taking place in the midst of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has far-reaching global ramifications. The group will most likely discuss the current Ukrainian crisis and its implications for the region. Furthermore, the leaders of the BIMSTEC group are expected to speak about the group’s core institutional structures and methods.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the 18th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in Colombo, where he emphasised the group’s determination to strengthen and expand cooperation in areas such as connectivity, energy, and maritime links. EAM Jaishankar wrapped up a “productive and congenial” BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Tuesday. “Thank you, FM Prof G. L. Peiris, for the excellent arrangements,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.