MEA Says BIMSTEC Nations Agree To Strengthen Security Cooperation At Amit Shah-Hosted Meet

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday that BIMSTEC member countries had agreed to deepen security cooperation in counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and anti-money laundering following the grouping’s first Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi. The meeting adopted the Delhi Declaration.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said representatives from all member countries, including Bangladesh, attended the inaugural dialogue hosted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He expressed confidence that the discussions would strengthen regional security cooperation.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Shah reaffirmed India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and called for greater mutual trust and coordination among BIMSTEC members to combat terrorism and organised crime.

Shah described BIMSTEC as an important platform for regional integration, economic cooperation and collective security. He said India remained committed to peace, coexistence and human welfare, guided by the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, which means ‘the world is one family’.

The Minister added that India respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and favoured resolving differences through peaceful means.

BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The regional grouping promotes cooperation across several sectors, including agriculture, food security, energy, connectivity, public health, disaster management, environmental protection, climate change, fisheries and people-to-people exchanges.

The latest meeting seeks to strengthen the security dimension of regional cooperation, with member countries identifying counter-terrorism and financial crime prevention as key areas for joint action.

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