• The Second BIMSTEC Ports Conclave was held in Visakhapatnam on July 14 & 15. 

• Hosted by the Visakhapatnam Port Authority, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India, the two-day conclave was themed ‘Navigating the Future: Blue Economy, Innovation & Sustainable Partnerships’.

• The conclave was inaugurated by Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and saw participation of delegations of the BIMSTEC member States, comprising officials, maritime experts, port authorities, private sector leaders, and regional development partners.

• This initiative by India, in line with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, will further strengthen maritime cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region.

What is BIMSTEC?

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprises India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

• It is a regional bloc comprising seven countries lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.

• This sub-regional organisation came into being on June 6, 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. It constitutes five countries from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two from Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thailand).

• Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four member states with the acronym BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Following the inclusion of Myanmar on December 22, 1997 during a special ministerial meeting in Bangkok, the group was renamed BIMSTEC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).

• With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the sixth ministerial meeting in February 2004, the name of the grouping was changed to Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

• The BIMSTEC region is home to about 1.8 billion people, accounting for about 22 per cent of the global population with a combined GDP of $4.5 trillion.

• The BIMSTEC Secretariat is situated in Dhaka.

• India has been pushing for making BIMSTEC a vibrant forum as various regional initiatives under South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) were not moving forward primarily due to non-cooperation from Pakistan.

• For India, BIMSTEC is a natural choice to take forward key foreign policy priorities like ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ as the bloc enjoys the strength of connecting South and Southeast Asia. 

• Initially, six sectors — trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries — were included for sectoral cooperation. It was later expanded to 14 areas of cooperation.

Highlights of the conclave:

• The conclave discussed diverse issues such as harmonising customs procedures and enhancing logistical links to boost intra-regional trade, port-linked industrial zones, cruise tourism, digital integration, upskilling maritime workforce, industry-academia ties, green shipping, etc.

• The conclave concluded on a forward-looking note with a strong emphasis on enhancing regional maritime cooperation, sustainability, and trade facilitation.

• It focused on promoting public-private partnerships, harmonising policies and procedures among member States, standardising port products and services, accelerating digitisation, and upgrading skills across the maritime sector.

• There was due focus on implementing the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation (AMTC), adopted at the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit earlier this year. 

• Signing of the AMTC is regarded as a significant milestone in facilitating efficient and harmonised maritime trade and transport across the region. 

• India, the first country to ratify the agreement, has already proposed establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Maritime Transport (BSMarTC) in India to support implementation and build technical capacity among the member States.

• In the area of trade facilitation, the conclave called for a regional single window clearance mechanism for customs and seaport procedures, as well as the negotiation of a BIMSTEC Trade Facilitation Agreement.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)