EAM Jaishankar reaffirms India's commitment to boost ties with BIMSTEC

New York: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reaffirmed India’s commitment to wider engagement with the seven-nation grouping BIMSTEC in line with its Neighbourhood First and Act East policies.

Jaishankar, who is in the US to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on Friday chaired the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation's informal Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York on the sidelines of the high-level session.

The meeting was held to prepare for the BIMSTEC Leaders’ Summit.

"Took stock of our close cooperation in health, food security, trade, investment, economy and energy. Focused on improving physical, maritime and digital connectivity across the region. Explored opportunities for capacity building, skill development and improving people-to-people ties," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

"The development of BIMSTEC Centres of Excellence is a collective resolve. Reaffirmed India’s commitment to wider engagement with BIMSTEC in line with Neighbourhood First, Vision SAGAR and Act East Policy," he said.

Under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, India is committed to developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all its neighbours. India has developed maritime cooperation with regional partners in consonance with its vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

India's Act East Policy is an initiative that aims to strengthen economic, cultural, and strategic ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.  The BIMSTEC member countries are India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.  Separately, Jaishankar along with Dominica Minister for Foreign Affairs Vince Henderson co-chaired a meeting of the India-CARICOM Foreign Ministers.

CARICOM, the Caribbean Community, has 15 members – Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Monsterrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Turks & Caicos Islands are Associate Members of the Community.

"A great meeting of the India-CARICOM Foreign Ministers today. Co-chaired with FM @v_henderson1 of Dominica," Jaishankar posted on X.

"Discussions around upgrading our partnership and deepening cooperation in health, IT, FinTech, capacity building, renewables and food security. Our bonds with CARICOM draw from past experiences, address current needs and aspire towards a brighter future," Jaishankar posted on X.

He along with his Honduras counterpart Enrique Reina co-chaired the India-CELAC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)  is an intergovernmental organisation that includes 33 member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"Our political cooperation and deepening economic linkages advance South-South cooperation. The agenda included Digital Public Infrastructure, health, clean energy and capacity building. Highlighted possibilities for greater engagement in AI, e-mobility, space, smart agriculture and drones," Jaishankar said.

India and CELAC have a shared commitment to reformed multilateralism, he said.