"India living up to "First Responder" obligation in Myanmar", EAM Jaishankar at 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting

Jaishankar said India is living up to its commitment of being the first responder in the situation, referring to Operation Brahma.

"Let me begin by thanking the Royal Thai Government for hosting the 6th BIMSTEC Summit that starts formally tomorrow. And to the BIMSTEC Secretariat for the preparation. Before we discuss the agenda, I would also like to express our solidarity and support for Myanmar and Thailand in the face of the massive earthquake a few days ago. India is living up to its obligation as a First Responder in this situation," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar said that from India's lens, BIMSTEC represents India's Act East policy, neighbourhood first approach and the MAHA-SAGAR outlook.

"Let me briefly expound on the BIMSTEC from India's perspective. This regional organization represents the trifecta of three of our crucial initiatives: the Act East policy, the Neighbourhood First approach and the MAHA-SAGAR outlook. It is also on the pathway to our Indo-Pacific commitment," he said.

Jaishankar said that to promote BIMSTEC, India seeks to create a substantial connection with the member states, and this is growing as a source of strength.

"In order to promote BIMSTEC, what India is doing is to draw the best from all of them and then synergize that with our collective efforts. That our bilateral relationships with individual BIMSTEC members are also strong and steadily growing is a further source of strength. At the end of the day, what we seek to create is a strong structural framework with a substantial relevance to our people," he said.

Jaishankar said that BIMSTEC's agenda is to prepare for a successful summit on Friday and ensure that the Bay of Bengal emerges as a vibrant region.

"The BIMSTEC has its agenda before it. Our job is to prepare for a successful Summit tomorrow where our leaders will reinforce the pillars of cooperation, witness the signing of significant agreements and declare the establishment of Centres of Excellence. I am confident that we will not only accomplish the ground work properly but set the stage for the emergence of the Bay of Bengal as a vibrant and energetic region," he said.

Jaishankar said that another way of achieving the goal is to deepen collaboration among the member states by cooperating on various sectors, like power grid connections, digital infrastructure, etc.

"The second line of approach would be to deepen our collaboration by directing energies towards the most visible convergences. This could be power grid connections, digital infrastructure, business activities, maritime and land transport, blue economy or health, food and energy security. Each one of us has our own experiences, and therefore, best practices to share. The creation of Centres of Excellence is one way of promoting that objective," he said.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1907649129469415575

In a post on X, he said, "Delighted to participate in the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok this morning. Expressed India's solidarity and support for Myanmar & Thailand in the face of the massive earthquake" (ANI)