BIMSTEC Expands Cooperation On Regional Security

Context: The article examines BIMSTEC’s expanding security agenda as its members strengthen cooperation on terrorism, cybercrime, maritime law enforcement and disaster response.

Source: “What is BIMSTEC, and why is it in focus ahead of its 30th anniversary?” The Indian Express, July 17, 2026.

Core Points

BIMSTEC connects seven South and Southeast Asian countries through a regional framework centred on the Bay of Bengal.
The fifth meeting of BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs endorsed principles for interactions between maritime law-enforcement agencies and guidelines for maritime humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Members agreed to deepen cooperation against terrorism, organised crime, cyber threats and risks to maritime and energy security.
Predictable procedures for encounters between maritime agencies can reduce misunderstandings and support coordinated disaster-response operations.
BIMSTEC advances India’s Neighbourhood First, Act East and maritime-security priorities.
The grouping has gained importance because SAARC remains constrained by India–Pakistan tensions.
Its seven members represent approximately 1.7 billion people and have a combined GDP approaching $5 trillion.
Political tensions involving Bangladesh and Myanmar, Myanmar’s civil conflict, weak connectivity and uneven implementation remain important constraints.

Prelims Relevance

BIMSTEC members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
It began as BIST-EC in 1997. Myanmar’s entry produced BIMST-EC, while the admission of Bhutan and Nepal led to the present name.
The BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Mains Relevance

GS II — Regional groupings, India’s neighbourhood policy and relations with South and Southeast Asia.
GS III — Maritime security, transnational crime, cybersecurity and disaster management.

Supporting Fact Box

The BIMSTEC Charter was signed at the fifth summit in Colombo in 2022 and entered into force in May 2024.
Unlike SAARC, BIMSTEC does not include Pakistan, Afghanistan or the Maldives.
The Bay of Bengal connects major Indian Ocean shipping routes with the Strait of Malacca and the wider Indo-Pacific.
BIMSTEC’s institutional security cooperation includes annual meetings of national security chiefs. BIMSTEC