In June 1997, four countries from the Bay of Bengal region — Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand — constructed a sub-regional economic cooperation through the Bangkok Declaration, “to promote sub-regional cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, technological exchange” and contribute to peace and prosperity in the region. Soon Myanmar joined the organisation followed by Nepal and Bhutan in 2004. Now, with seven countries as members, the organisation adopted a new name — ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ or BIMSTEC. Recently, with the resurgence of strategic and economic interests in the Bay as part of a larger maritime strategic space, namely, the Indo-Pacific, BIMSTEC as a promising sub-regional grouping is gaining traction. The Bay being the key transit route between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans is located at the intersection of Indian and Chinese strategic interests impacting deeply all other BIMSTEC member-countries. Moreover, the Bay is plagued by a variety of non-traditional security threats such as illegal migration and armed piracy. Freedom of navigation in these waters, controlling transnational threats, harnessing and sharing the Bay’s natural wealth, promoting infrastructural and people-to-people connectivity thus become common issues for BIMSTEC member countries.
This conference will bring in academics, thinkers, policy makers, journalists and other important stakeholders of the BIMSTEC countries as well as potential partners to analyse the brand value of BIMSTEC, its opportunities for wider collaboration and understand the prevailing narratives within BIMSTEC. The discussions will be set out to generate larger perspectives for harnessing the maximum opportunities and benefits of the organisation. The conference will be divided into six main business sessions apart from two integral sessions on the role of media in the region along with the inaugural and summing up sessions.
Find the programme here.
Find the speakers here.
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