{"id":25362,"date":"2018-09-13T16:43:06","date_gmt":"2018-09-13T11:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=25362"},"modified":"2021-03-06T12:48:26","modified_gmt":"2021-03-06T07:18:26","slug":"bimstec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/bimstec\/","title":{"rendered":"BIMSTEC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><u>Context<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4<sup>th<\/sup> BIMSTEC Summit was held on 30and 31 August in Kathmandu, Nepal.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Important Facts<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is BIMSTEC?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>BIMSTEC Stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic cooperation.<\/li>\n<li>It is an international organization of seven nations of south Asia and south East Asia lying in the littorals and adjacent areas of Bay of Bengal.<\/li>\n<li>BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia, but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25363\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/arabian.jpg?resize=499%2C424\" alt=\"\" width=\"499\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/arabian.jpg?w=499&amp;ssl=1 499w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/arabian.jpg?resize=150%2C127&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/arabian.jpg?resize=300%2C255&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25403\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/members.jpg?resize=662%2C410\" alt=\"\" width=\"662\" height=\"410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/members.jpg?w=662&amp;ssl=1 662w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/members.jpg?resize=150%2C93&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/members.jpg?resize=300%2C186&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25404\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/bismtec.jpg?resize=661%2C368\" alt=\"\" width=\"661\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/bismtec.jpg?w=661&amp;ssl=1 661w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/bismtec.jpg?resize=150%2C84&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/bismtec.jpg?resize=300%2C167&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How member countries look at BIMSTEC<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bangladesh<\/strong>: A platform to project itself as an important power of Bay of Bengal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>India<\/strong>: A platform to bypass Pakistan and China and showcase its <strong>\u2018Neighborhood first\u2019<\/strong> and <strong>\u2018Act East policy\u2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Myanmar &amp; Thailand<\/strong>: A platform to access the consumer market and improve relation with India.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sri Lanka: <\/strong>Gateway to South East Asia.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nepal &amp; Bhutan: <\/strong>Escape route from land locked geography<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>4<sup>th<\/sup> BIMSTEC Summit: Kathmandu Declaration and issues involved<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THEME: \u00a0\u201c<\/strong>Towards a peaceful<strong>, <\/strong>prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal\u201d<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Charter: <\/strong>Decision to strengthen BIMSTEC\u2019s institutional foundation by starting negotiation on long overdue charter.<\/li>\n<li>Policy reform to strengthen the <strong>BIMSTEC secretariat<\/strong>. Also a <strong>permanent working committee<\/strong> will be set up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Combating terrorism<\/strong> finds mention in the joint declaration.<\/li>\n<li><strong>BIMSTEC Free Trade Area Framework agreement<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Signed by all member countries to stimulate trade and investment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trade Negotiation Committee (TNC)<\/strong> was set up to negotiate in areas of trade in goods and services etc.<\/li>\n<li>Renewed the group\u2019s <strong>commitment to an early Free Trade Agreement (FTA).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong>BIMSTEC Development Fund <\/strong>has been formed to prevent financial constraints.<\/li>\n<li>Though BIMSTEC has 14 priority areas, this summit had integrated two more priority sectors- <strong>Blue economy<\/strong> and <strong>Mountain Economy. <\/strong>The summit<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Underscored the necessity of making concrete efforts to ensure the <strong>conservation of mountain ecosystems.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Decided to establish an <strong>Inter-governmental Expert Group<\/strong> to develop an action plan on <strong>blue economy.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Importance of BIMSTEC<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Political recognition of Bay of Bengal<\/strong> as a sub region in its own right at the head of emerging Indo pacific construct.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connectivity: <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>PM Modi while speaking at the summit termed connectivity as the biggest opportunity at BIMSTEC. He called for Trade connectivity, transport connectivity and people to people connectivity among BIMSTEC countries.<\/li>\n<li>Kathmandu declaration reiterates the BIMSTEC member states resolve to conclude the <strong>BIMSTEC Coastal agreement<\/strong> and <strong>BIMSTEC motor vehicle agreement<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Kaladan Multi-modal transit transport project, <\/strong>which will connect Kolkata to Mizoram via Myanmar, has been hailed as \u201c<strong>Future gateway to South East Asia<\/strong>\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Ongoing work on 1,400km long <strong>India<\/strong><strong>-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway <\/strong>which will <strong>connect Moreh, India<\/strong> with <strong>Mae sot, Thailand<\/strong> via Myanmar.<\/li>\n<li>Coastal shipping agreement to facilitate <strong>coastal shipping within 20 nautical miles<\/strong> of the coast line in regions to boost trade.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong>Energy cooperation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>A MoU was signed to establish <strong>BIMSTEC grid interconnections<\/strong> to enhance energy cooperation among member states.<\/li>\n<li>Early start of <strong>BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bangalore.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong>Improving people to People and cultural relation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u2018Bodhi Parv\u2019<\/strong>, a 3 day festival themed on Buddhist heritage was held in 2017 December to celebrate <strong>20<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary of BIMSTEC<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Kathmandu declaration calls for <strong>the establishment of a Buddhist circuit<\/strong> in the region.<\/li>\n<li>India is organizing an <strong>International Buddhist conclave in 2020<\/strong>. PM Modi has invited BIMSTEC members for the conclave.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Significance of BIMSTEC to India<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>BIMSTEC can help India bypass Pakistan<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Helps India follow its policy of \u2018neighborhood first\u2019<\/li>\n<li>India can play a leadership role in the region through BIMSTEC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong>BIMSTEC can help India counter China<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter China.<\/li>\n<li>India can follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognized international norms. The Chinese projects are widely seen as violating these norms.<\/li>\n<li>Bay of Bengal can be showcased as \u2018open and peaceful \u2018in contrast with China\u2019s behavior in South China Sea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong>BIMSTEC can be India\u2019s gateway to South East Asia<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>It is seen as having potential to emerge as a building block of economically vibrant Indo-Pacific region.<\/li>\n<li>BIMSTEC can help India to work more closely with other Indo pacific groupings like ASEAN in the region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Challenges in front of BIMSTEC<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Pending Projects<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Work on trilateral India Myanmar Thailand Highway which would eventually extend to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam is still patchy.<\/li>\n<li>The 2015 Indian Proposal for trilateral motor vehicle agreement to facilitate seamless movement of passengers and cargo among the three countries is pending.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong>Issues with FTA<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>India is concerned that the FTA in the current form might lead to its domestic merchandise Industry not able to compete with its Bangladeshi counterparts.<\/li>\n<li>There are also differences between India and Thailand regarding market access for professionals and duty cuts on traded goods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong>Conflicting priorities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Critics have argued that there are many priority sectors in BIMSTEC and this should be narrowed down for BIMSTEC to be effective.<\/li>\n<li>Thailand has asked to reduce the priority area from 14 to just 5 which are Connectivity, Trade and Investment, People to people contact, Security and science Technology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong>Lack of Resources<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Lack of adequate financial and manpower resources constraining the performance of the body.<\/li>\n<li>India is the largest contributor and contributes annually about <strong>32% of the budget.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong>Perceived as an India dominated bloc<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>It is necessary to counter the impression that BIMSTEC is an India dominated bloc like the SAARC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>SAARC versus BIMSTEC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><u><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25365\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/saarc.jpg?resize=517%2C95\" alt=\"\" width=\"517\" height=\"95\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/saarc.jpg?w=517&amp;ssl=1 517w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/saarc.jpg?resize=150%2C28&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/saarc.jpg?resize=300%2C55&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" \/><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Can BIMSTEC Replace SAARC?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Arguments in favour<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAARC has failed in its objective that seeks to contribute to the mutual trust and understanding among members.<\/li>\n<li>SAARC\u2019s performance has been less than satisfactory and its role in strengthening the regional cooperation is questionable.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recent Obstructions in SAARC: <\/strong>The SAARC motor vehicle agreement couldn\u2019t take place due to Pakistan\u2019s objection. Similarly SAARC satellite was objected by Pak. This has led to SAARC becoming a non-functional grouping.<\/li>\n<li>Unresolved border issues and mutual suspicion has also heightened the lack of cooperation between countries.<\/li>\n<li><strong>PM Modi<\/strong> has earlier announced that regional integration in South Asia would go ahead through SAARC or outside it. With this vision India has tried to actively pursue greater role in BIMSTEC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Against arguments <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAARC countries have a shared history and have close socio cultural &amp; linguistic linkages.<\/li>\n<li>SAARC countries are closely tied in their socio political state and they face similar challenges<\/li>\n<li>SAARC and BIMSTEC complement each other in terms of functional goals.<\/li>\n<li>The success of BIMSTEC does not render SAARC pointless; it only adds a new chapter in regional cooperation in South Asia.<\/li>\n<li>Some problems which afflicted SAARC can still affect BIMSTEC which includes:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li>Budget constraints which constrained SAARC could occur in BIMSTEC.<\/li>\n<li>As China expands its BRI project in BIMSTEC countries, BIMSTEC could <strong>be a new battleground for Indo-China Battle for dominance<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Problems have already begun to appear as <strong>Nepal<\/strong> and <strong>Thailand<\/strong> have declined to participate in the BIMSTEC military exercise <strong>MILEX-18<\/strong> owing to Chinese pressure.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong><u>Way Forward<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Connectivity projects should be given a priority.<\/li>\n<li>India must take a lead role because BIMSTEC stands at the centre of its \u2018Neighborhood first\u2019 and \u2018Act East\u2019 Policy, its major foreign policy priorities.<\/li>\n<li>The region has potential to become a hub of economic activities.<\/li>\n<li>To leverage the opportunities in the region, a strong regional cooperation mechanism is necessary.<\/li>\n<li>Nepal PM while speaking at the 4<sup>th<\/sup> summit stressed on the importance of translating BIMSTEC to a performance oriented organization. If his prescription is followed in true spirit then BIMSTEC can become a dynamic, effective and result oriented organization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Context 4th BIMSTEC Summit was held on 30and 31 August in Kathmandu, Nepal. Important Facts What is BIMSTEC? BIMSTEC Stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic cooperation. It is an international organization of seven nations of south Asia and south East Asia lying in the littorals and adjacent areas of Bay&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/bimstec\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">BIMSTEC<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":25366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-editorials","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/bimstec.jpg?fit=466%2C321&ssl=1","views":{"total":157,"cached_at":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}