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An organization of seven Bay of Bengal nations said its members must urgently use their geographical advantage and other resources to address their vulnerabilities and collectively strengthen their ability to face calamities.

In a declaration on the final day of a three-day summit in late March 2022, pictured, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) said its members resolved to work together to combat poverty, natural disasters, climate change, pandemics and transnational crime.

They also agreed to work toward food and energy security and to strengthen their links to increase trade, investment, tourism and technology, and offset economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The developments in Europe in the last few weeks have raised a question mark on the stability of the international order. In this context, it has become important to make BIMSTEC regional cooperation more active,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a virtual speech, referencing Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

“It has also become imperative to give more priority to our regional security.”

The prime minister said India would contribute U.S. $3 million to revive the BIMSTEC Center for Weather and Climate to enable cooperation in disaster management.

The group’s leaders also signed a BIMSTEC charter, which was described as a significant step toward increasing the organization’s role regionally and globally. 

Leaders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand addressed the summit virtually. Myanmar’s foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, represented his country.

The Associated Press

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