Bimstec to put regional ties to the test

On April 4, leaders from the seven countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal will converge in Bangkok to chart a common future amid dramatic shifts in the global geopolitical landscape.

- Kavi Chongkittavorn

This 6th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) will also mark Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s first time chairing a regional gathering since taking office last August.

The summit has the potential to position Bimstec as a rising force in the Global South, especially after the catastrophic disruption triggered by President Donald Trump's return. The world order in place since the end of World War Il is being altered by his America First approach.

The postponement of the summit from its original date of Nov 30 last year was a blessing in disguise. Over the past four months, the geopolitical environment has turned upside down, giving Bimstec leaders a fresh opportunity to evaluate emerging regional and international trends and implications. Plenty of bilateral meetings among the members are expected.

Bimstec is a unique bloc because it includes the world’s largest democracy, India, along with four other South Asian countries — Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Nepal — and two Asean members, Thailand and Myanmar. Nay Pyi Taw is at the other end of the pendulum as the most brutal and oppressive regime.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the Indian delegation. Others attending include Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya, Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Bhutanese Prime Minister ‘Tshering Tobgay, and Bangladeshi Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Myanmar's military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has been invited to join the summit. If he comes, it will be his first visit to Thailand since the February 2021 coup.