EAM Jaishankar holds 'productive' consultation to strengthen India's commitment to BIMSTEC

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a consultation with senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and envoys on strengthening India's commitment to BIMSTEC."A productive consultation on strengthening India's commitment to BIMSTEC.  Joined by senior MEA officials, our Ambassadors in BIMSTEC countries and our incoming Secretary General," Jaishankar posted on X on Thursday.The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an economic and technical initiative which brings together the countries of the Bay of Bengal for multifaceted cooperation. The retreat would discuss ways to further deepen the BIMSTEC agenda and strengthen the organisation. It is an organisation of seven countries; Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.It is a regional multilateral organisation and its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.Earlier in July, Jaishankar attended the inaugural BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand which saw the participation of foreign ministers of all the seven BIMSTEC members. During the meeting, EAM took forward New Delhi's Neighbourhood First and Act East policies, which are part of India's foreign policy focussing on its extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region.Meanwhile, the virtual G20 Summit was held under the chairmanship of PM Modi on Wednesday. The 18th G20 Leaders' Summit was held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. It saw the unanimous adoption of the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, which demonstrated the commitment of the G20 leaders to address global challenges in an inclusive, decisive and action-oriented manner.During his remarks after the summit, Jaishankar revealed that G20 members welcomed the understanding reached on critical issues, including the release of hostages, the flow of relief material to Gaza, and a temporary pause in the fighting.The leaders conveyed a strong sentiment towards ensuring the implementation of the agreed-upon commitments. He also underlined the summit's significance as the first gathering of world leaders following the outbreak of conflict in West Asia.BIMSTEC members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.With inputs from ANI.