India-Thailand leadership can strengthen Bimstec

Prime Minister (Premier) Narendra Modi will attend the two-Postponed Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sector Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) in Thailand from Friday in the shadow of the devastating earthquake in the region. Bimstec should make sure not to duplicate other regional initiatives, but focus on some projects with a major impact in strengthening the civilization, trade and economic ties (Bimstec2025thailand) Bimstec, founded in 1997, has a significant strategic and economic potential, but it has several challenges that impede its effectiveness. Most importantly, the absence of a strong institutional framework. Unlike says the Association of Southeast Asian countries (ASEAN), the Bimstec Secretariat has limited resources and authority, leading to slow decision-making. No single country has always taken the lead in the management of Bimstec’s agenda: the diverse membership – Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan – often struggle with the set of priorities. Besides, the tension of India-China indirectly affects Bimstec: China is not a member, but influences Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh. Political instability in Myanmar and regional matches further stopped the collaboration. Key agreements, such as the Bimstec Free Trade Agreement (FTA), remain silent. Bureaucratic inertia and a lack of maintenance mechanisms further delay economic integration. Despite discussions on transport and energy projects, poor infrastructure links remain an obstacle. Maritime and road connection projects, such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transit Project and Trilateral Highway, have been delayed. High rates and non-tariff barriers further limit the interior. Although maritime safety, terrorism and the climate crisis affect the region, cooperation continues to be limited. Similarly, cyber security and disaster management efforts need more coordination. In recent years, India has invested more in Bimstec than the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). For starters, Bimstec is linked to India’s Act East Policy (AEP). When the Premier Modi was sworn in for its second term in 2019, Bimstec heads were not invited to the ceremony. In 2016, he invited Bimstec countries to the Bric Outreach Summit in Goa. More recently, India has turned off a senior official as Secretary -General of Bimstec (2024), with the aim of strengthening the organization. All of this is in line with India’s safety and grows for everyone in the region (Sagar), the revised vision interlocutors and holistic progress for safety and growth over regions (Mahasagar) and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). Ideally, Bimstec should benefit from its diverse composition: Five of its members belong to Saarc, while Myanmar and Thailand are part of ASEAN, the Mekong-ganga cooperation (MGC) and the Indian Ocean RIM Association (IORA). Given the Bay of Bengal focus, Bimstec complements India’s efforts to work with the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth of the Andaman Sea. Since its inception, Bimstec has acknowledged that geographics and geo-economy must intertwine for successful regional cooperation. The region shares a common history, civilization and challenges such as the climate crisis, food security and trade barriers. However, differences in developmental levels are clear. India, Sri Lanka and Thailand are developing countries, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar are classified as the least developed countries (LDCs); Bangladesh is about to switch to developing national status. Several agreements, including the Bimstec Grid Inter -connection, the Mutual Legal Assistance Convention in Criminal Matters, and a MOU on Diplomatic Academy cooperation, were established. Trading liberalization, if accompanied by the harmonized customs regulations, can significantly increase local economic growth. India’s northeast, a key focus of the AEP, benefits greater connectivity, trade and investment. A key initiative under Bimstec is the multimodal connectivity and economic gait that connects Southeast Asia, India, West Asia and Europe, which corresponds to the India-Easan 12-point plan. To achieve this, the Bimstec Development Fund must be institutionalized and well funded, while the networks and thinking tanks in civil society must have activation. On July 17, 2023, Thailand hosted the first Bimstec Foreign Minister in Bangkok. The seven members confirmed their dedication to making Bimstec more resilient and relevant. Myanmar participated despite Asean discussions, suggesting that Bimstec works independently of Asean’s framework. Discussions focused on crisis response mechanisms, food security, public health, energy, financial security, trade and economic cooperation and proposals, are on digital payment systems, collaboration between cyber security and crime prevention prevention. The Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which met in January 2024, had the task of mapping Bimstec’s future roadmap. However, domestic political upheavals in Bangladesh and Thailand delayed the summit until September 2024 and further until March 2025. Subwayal organizations need strong leadership. Indo-pack tension hampered the operation of SARC, but Bimstec’s actions were largely administered. In practical terms, Bimstec is just as active as India makes it. With the growing world confidence of India-shown by its leadership in the G20, the Indian United States (US) strategic involvement, and the global south-met Bimstec becomes an important pillar of the first policy and vision Mahasagar of New Delhi. However, Bimstec must ensure that they do not duplicate other regional initiatives, but focus on some projects with a major impact on strengthening civilization, trade and economic ties. It can even provide a development alternative. India’s credit lines (LOC) to Bangladesh alone stand at $ 8 billion – 25% of its global LOCs. India also expanded significant support to Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The next step is to connect this initiative region. For this, India and Thailand must take joint leadership to strengthen the block. Both countries have interests to engage Myanmar and strengthen regional cooperation. Before the earthquake, the military leader of Myanmar, Gen Min Aung Hlaing, was invited to the top. Collaboration with partners such as Japan, Germany, Australia and France can increase development efforts. Connection projects should focus not only on physical infrastructure, but also on regulatory harmonization. It should also prioritize lighthouse projects that show tangible benefits for member states. The block must also draw in Singapore and Indonesia. As neighbors to the bay of Bengal, they will charge the organization. Gurjit Singh is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia Asean and the Africa Union. The opinion expressed is personal