New Delhi [India], November 19 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) inaugurated the Annual BIMSTEC Young Diplomats Interaction Programme on Tuesday at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) in New Delhi, aimed at enhancing engagement and capacity-building within the Bay of Bengal region.
The week-long programme brings together 14 young diplomats from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Participants will gain exposure to emerging approaches in geopolitics and geoeconomics, as well as key priority areas of cooperation among BIMSTEC member states.
A MEA release stated, “Fourteen young diplomats from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka are participating in this week-long programme. It will expose them to new approaches to look at geopolitical and geoeconomic landscapes as also priority areas of cooperation in the region.”
The programme was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, with the objective of strengthening institutional linkages and regional cooperation under India’s Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. The MEA highlighted the initiative on X, noting its role in deepening partnerships among emerging diplomatic leaders in the Bay of Bengal region.
BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, comprises seven member states—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand. The grouping connects South Asia with Southeast Asia, encompassing a population of 1.7 billion and a combined GDP of USD 5 trillion.
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