Round The
World
New Delhi, 7 September 2018
BIMSTEC Summit
FEEL-GOOD MOMENT
By Dr D.K. Giri
(Prof. International Politics, JMI)
The just-concluded
BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu should provide a feel-good moment for Prime
Minister Modi and the Indians, as clearly the new grouping is emerging as a
substitute to SAARC as well as China’s OBOR-Project. SAARC is practically
paralysed due to Pakistan’s support to terrorism alienating member countries
like Bangladesh, Bhutan and India, which boycotted the Summit in Islamabad in
2016.
In the past, SAARC
has failed to openly condemn terrorism which is a major cause of concern and
conflict in the region. But the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technology and Economic Cooperation) vision document
unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. It affirmed that the “fight
against terrorism should target not only terrorists, terror organisations, and
networks, but also identify and hold accountable States and non-State entities,
that encourage, support and finance terrorism, provide sanctuary to terrorists
and terror groups and falsely extol their virtues”.
The member States
also ratified the convention on cooperation in combating international
terrorism, transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking. These
‘declarations were supported by structured meetings of Home Ministers in
addition to annual meetings of the National Security Advisors and the meetings
of Army Chiefs; one is happening this month in Pune.
Arguably, BIMSTEC
should provide for India the countervailing instrument to China’s OBOR group.
It fits into India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ and Act East Policy. It should also
connect South Asia and South East Asia through its eight North-Eastern States
and is a good opportunity for India to become the bridge. The ethnic
similarities between North East and South-East Asia and the cultural symmetry
through the huge of influence of Buddhism from Nepal to Myanmar, spreading
across the entire BIMSTEC region except Bangladesh should help the growth of
BIMSTEC as a regional body.
These in turn, should
help India’s profile in the region vis-a-vis China and in the rest of the
world. However, it will depend upon New Delhi’s diplomatic ability to steer
this group into a viable and durable organisation. It has to live up to the
title of the Nepal Summit, “Towards a peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous Bay
of Bengal Region”.
BIMSTEC was created
on 6 June 1997 by the Bangkok Declaration and comprises seven members from
South and South-East Asia – India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka,
Thailand and Myanmar. Since its inception, it has had three Summits - 1997 in
Bangkok, 2008 in New Delhi and 2014 in Myanmar and the 4th one, 2018
in Kathmandu. In addition, it has had a Leadership Retreat in 2016.
It has 14 sectors for
cooperation with two more added in Nepal. All these 16 sectors are proposed to
be grouped under five pillars, a proposal which came from Thailand. These are:
connectivity, trade and investment, people-to-people contacts, science and
technology, and security. The Thai Prime Minister was bold and brave enough to
suggest that BIMSTEC should be a free trade zone by 2021.
One of the measures
for success of any Summit is the nature and quality of deliberations, the
atmosphere of trust and goodwill, and the number of Agreements signed. The
first two criteria were good enough, but the third one raises concern. Out of
several legal instruments, only one was signed: the Grid-connection. There were
other concerns too. The Free Trade Agreement, pending finalisation for long,
ended with a lame commitment to its early conclusion.
Myanmar president
reminded the Summit that the BIMSTEC Energy Centre set up in 2009 was awaiting
early operationalisation. The secretariat, skeletal as it is, is starved of
funds. The regularity and periodicity of the Summits too is not fixed. The
leaders were enthusiastic enough to make it an annual affair, but ended with
commitment to timely meetings. If BIMSTEC could meet again in 2019, that will
be treated as a success.
To be fair, the
individual zeal and political will exist among the members, but the instruments
have to be created and nurtured. No wonder, Nepal Prime Minister K.P.S. Oli
urged the Summit to move on from deliberations to delivery, to translate
promises into performance. The impatience was visible as the opportunity is
great, while the stakes are high.
On an appreciative
note, one could see the progress made in the Summit and let us list these. First,
it was decided to draft a charter for BIMSTEC, as it has been running on the
mandate of Bangkok Declaration and the Leaders’ Retreat. Second, a permanent
working committee is to be set up, Rules of Procedure are to be codified.
Third, additional finances have been committed to run the secretariat. This
will strengthen the group and facilitate its growth. Fourth, in order to meet
the recurring deficits of finances, a BIMSTEC fund is to be created, which will
maintain the core activities. Fifth, it was decided to raise BIMSTEC presence
in the international fora, which would mean BIMSTEC being active as a regional
body.
Notably, the big
drivers for BIMSTEC are connectivity and counter-terrorism that will lead the
region towards peace, progress and prosperity. There would be a collective
effort to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, in line with SDG – 2030. There
will be greater cooperation in trade and investment, which will contribute to
growth and development for 22 per cent of the world population and a 2.8
trillion economy.
On both connectivity,
and countering terrorism, BIMSTEC is unanimous, which is a happy-augury in the
region. It has a long way to go, but it is marching along compared to its
inching towards greater cooperation in the first decade of its formation.
Importantly, Prime
Minister Modi took full opportunity to deepen India’s relations with Nepal
which have been frayed of late. His tweet said it all: ‘our deliberations were
wide ranging, covering multiple aspects of India-Nepal relations in order to
deepen our economic, trade and cultural ties’. Along with Oli, he inaugurated
the Nepal-Bharat Maitri Dharmashala – a symbol of India-Nepal Friendship.
However, Modi will
have to stretch out a bit more to repair the strain in India-Nepal relations
caused by the short-sighted approach of his government. A lot of water has
flown down the Ganges since he first made a euphoric visit to Nepal. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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