2 weeks Ago By Moneycontrol
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Government, Muhammad Yunus, held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on Thursday. According to reports, the leaders discussed regional cooperation, development, and shared aspirations for a prosperous Bay of Bengal region. "BIMSTEC is an important forum to further global good.
It is imperative we strengthen it and deepen our engagement. In this context, I proposed a 21-point Action Plan covering different aspects of our cooperation," PM Modi posted on X. PM Modi also proposed to set up a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce, organise annual business summits and explore promoting trade in local currencies within the region.
He also proposed establishing a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management in India to collaborate on disaster preparedness, relief and rehabilitation. This is the first meeting between the two leaders since the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Also, Muhammad Yunus, during his recent four-day visit to China, remarked that India's Northeast was "landlocked" and had "no way to reach out to the ocean.
" "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean," said Yunus.
Calling Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, Yunus said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy. In response, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said has the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal. “The nations around and proximate to the Bay of Bengal have both common interests and shared concerns.
Some of it emanates from our history, where other priorities overrode the well-being of this region," Jaishankar said..
