Leaders of BIMSTEC called for accelerating economic cooperation, undertaking more realistic and result-oriented mutually beneficial partnership and promote collaboration on matters of common interests. They urged for more friendly and collaborative relations using it as a bridge to link South and Southeast Asia, exploring full potentials of the human resources and intensifying the efforts in realizing the objectives and purposes of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, BIMSTEC.
The leaders called for a stronger and more effective organization towards making a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region. The leaders made the calls on the occasion of 22 years of existence of BIMSTEC, an international organisation of seven nations of South Asia and South East Asia. June 6 is the BIMSTEC anniversary or better known as ‘BIMSTEC Day’. The BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka will celebrate the day by hosting a reception on today (June 25).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message greeted the governments and the people of BIMSTEC member states marking the BIMSTEC Day 2019. According to a press release sent by the BIMSTEC Secretariat, the Head of the Government of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said, “BIMSTEC process achieved some remarkable progress during the last 22 years of existence. However, there are much remains to be done to make the organization an outcome oriented and ready for serving the future.”
She further said, “I fondly recollect my joining the BIMSTEC leaders in reiterating our commitments to intensify our efforts in realizing the objectives and purposes of BIMSTEC through working collectively towards making it a stronger and more effective organization towards making a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region.”
Prime Minister Hasina recalled that Bangladesh, as a founding member of BIMSTEC, has been cooperating closely with the member states on issues like facilitation of trade, enhancing economic development, strengthening energy cooperation, increasing connectivity and people-to-people contact, combating terrorism and extremism, dealing with the adverse effect of climate change, among others.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his message said, “The people of BIMSTEC countries are bound together by our intertwined cultures and histories and have come even closer in recent years through our common purpose of building a peaceful and prosperous Bay of Bengal region.” He also said, “We are committed to the goals of delivering better opportunities and economic prosperity to our people, especially the youth.” In the recent years, BIMSTEC member states have intensified their efforts to enhance regional connectivity, deepen economic ties and achieve regional security, Modi added.
The Indian Premier thanked the government of Bangladesh for hosting the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka. He also congratulated the government of Sri Lanka as the new Chair of BIMSTEC. He hopes that BIMSTEC would continue to pave way for a brighter future for its people, built on strong and enduring partnerships among its member states.
Dr Lotay Tshering, the Prime Minister of Bhutan in his separate message said, “We must continue to work together and in harmony to nurture the common bonds of friendship and understanding that bind us together as BIMSTEC.” Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor Republic of the Union of Myanmar in her message said, “The Bay of Bengal region’s strategic location serves as a bridge linking South and Southeast Asia. An abundance of natural and human resources, together with its deep historical linkages and rich cultural heritages, buttress the great potential of the BIMSTEC regional grouping.”
She believes that unity, friendship and mutual understanding among the member states will enable BIMSTEC to achieve substantial progress in its journey towards the goals enshrined in the 1997 Bangkok Declaration. The Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli in his message said, “BIMSTEC region is full of potentials. Human resources of one billion and half with a large number of young and dynamic work force, abundance of natural resources, rich history, culture and civilization, and friendly and cooperative relations among the member countries and people all make it a resourceful and dynamic region.”
“What it requires is the deepening of cooperation and result-oriented activities on a broader scale with the full utilization of the existing potentials. The regional cooperation is also essential for addressing various challenges of regional and international dimensions, such as poverty, socio-economic inequalities, climate change, natural disasters, trans-national crimes, and so on, his message reads,” Prime Minister Oli said.
President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena said, “BIMSTEC has made significant progress during the last 22 years and there is a greater need to work collectively to ensure tangible results to our people.” He reiterated his fullest support to BIMSTEC in its efforts of promoting and fostering regional cooperation in the region.
Dr A K Abdul Momen, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh in his message said, “Since its inception in 1997, BIMSTEC has been working to create an enabling environment for economic development, acceleration of social progress and promotion of collaboration on matters of common interest of the member states which represent two of the fastest emerging regions of the world.”
He further said, “In advancing the common visions and shared endeavours of the Bay of Bengal Region, we need to focus on undertaking more realistic and result-oriented mutually beneficial partnership to earn collective economic and social prosperity of our people.” M Shahidul Islam, Secretary General of BIMSTEC in his message marking the twenty second anniversary of the establishment of the multilateral organization said, “BIMSTEC has gained considerable maturity over the last two decades as a regional organisation dedicated to accelerate economic development and social progress in the Bay of Bengal region. Significant progress has been made towards intra-regional trade facilitation, revival of the historical connectivity by land and sea, and promotion of a common perception of human security for the Bay of Bengal region.”
On this occasion, I wish to record my deep gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh for providing continued support to the Secretariat since its establishment in 2014, the message reads. M Shahidul Islam said, “The time of BIMSTEC has come. The Secretariat will work closely with the member states to ensure that we seize this opportunity to bring tangible benefits to the people of the Bay of Bengal region.”
