External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called upon the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries to infuse new energies, new resources and a new commitment into cooperation among the seven members of the grouping.

”For India, BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ outlook, the ‘Act East Policy’ and the ‘SAGAR’ vision,” he said while addressing the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat. The meeting is being attended by the foreign ministers or senior representatives of the governments of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar.

Recalling that the BIMSTEC countries had last met in a similar format in Bangkok in July last year, Dr Jaishankar said much has happened since then and this should spur their endeavours to deepen and broaden the activities of BIMSTEC.

The BIMSTEC Charter, for a start, has come into effect from 20 May this year. ”Global and regional developments also make it imperative that we find more solutions amongst ourselves,” he said.

He said there are longstanding goals such as capacity-building and economic cooperation that have acquired a new urgency. ”And not least, a grouping that is so complementary and so congenial in its membership should surely harbour higher aspirations. Our hope is that these would be expressed as shared and ambitious BIMSTEC Vision.”

Dr Jaishankar regretted that collaborative potential of the Bay of Bengal has long remained underrealised. ”Our challenge is to change that for the better, and to do so rapidly. The retreat is meant to exchange ideas openly, candidly and fruitfully. We all benefited from the last such exercise in Bangkok. This one now has a particular importance as it serves to prepare strong outcomes for the Summit to be held later in the year,” he said.

The retreat in New Delhi, he said, would revolve around connectivity, institutional building, cooperation in trade and business, collaboration in health and space, digital public infrastructure, capacity building and societal exchanges, as well as weighing on the merits of new mechanisms.