Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli returned home on Saturday after participating in the sixth summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in the Thai capital of Bangkok, from April 2-4. He described his first visit to Thailand as Nepal's Prime Minister as successful and historic. BIMSTEC, established in 1997 to promote shared economic interests among South and Southeast Asian nations, initially included Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as its members. Myanmar joined in as a new member the same year in December. Nepal and Bhutan became members in February 2004. In June the same year, the first BIMSTEC summit was held in Bangkok. Nepal chaired the 7-member BIMSTEC from 2014 to 2018, and hosted the fourth summit in Kathmandu in August 2018. Oli was the prime minister then.
The 6th Summit, themed “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC”, focused on fostering collaboration among the member states to address their shared security and developmental challenges. The Summit adopted BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, the first ever Vision Document of BIMSTEC, which, according to a press release, provides a comprehensive and practical roadmap for future cooperation to achieve the vision of Prosperous, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC. The member states also signed an Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation. The agreement has been termed as 'a significant step towards strengthening regional partnerships to enhance maritime connectivity, enabling more trade and travel amongst the member states'. A memorandum of understanding between BIMSTEC and Indian Ocean Rim Association has also been signed. How landlocked Nepal and Bhutan make the most out of this agreement remains to be seen. BIMSTEC leaders identified the areas of priority for regional cooperation, and presented specific proposals and initiatives. They underlined the need to make progress in enhancing intra-regional trade and investment, connectivity, tourism, culture exchanges, climate action, green and renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, food security, disaster management and security. "Against the backdrop of an increasingly complex and uncertain global political and economic landscape, the 6th BIMSTEC Summit reaffirmed BIMSTEC’s critical role in forging regional cooperation to enable the member states to deal with their shared security and sustainable development challenges," states a BIMSTEC press released in what appears to be a vague yet implicit reference to the universal tariffs recently imposed by the United States. "With institutional reforms already underway, BIMSTEC is poised to evolve into a vibrant and dynamic regional organization, advancing peace, prosperity and resilience in the Bay of Bengal region."
My India visit will focus on bolstering bilateral ties: PM Daha...
Prime Minister Oli successfully utilized his sideline meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give fresh impetus to the centuries-old Nepal-India relations. The visit has widely been hailed as fruitful on the social media in Nepal and India. India maintains that Nepal remains a priority under its “Neighborhood First” policy, and has spelled out the need for regular high-level exchanges. There are indications that Prime Minister Oli will finally be receiving an invite from India. The one-on-one between Oli and Modi could impact two recent political developments in Nepal: the growing activism of monarchist forces, allegedly backed by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh better known by its acronym, RSS; and the formation of a federal democratic front by Madhesh-centric parties. It is widely perceived that the front enjoys Indian backing. Despite diplomatic limitations, the Oli-Modi ice-breaker meeting is considered significant, especially given the strained relations between the two nations in recent years. Nepal and India should stay engaged at all levels, most importantly at the highest level, and sort out differences through dialogue.
