Q. Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC:
- It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025.
- It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999.
- Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC.
- In BIMSTEC, the subsector of 'tourism' is being led by India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2025)
Answer:
I only
Notes: The correct answer is
[D] I only. BIMSTEC (Bay Economic Strategy for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a unique sub-regional platform connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia.
- Statement I (Correct): As of January 2025, BIMSTEC consists of seven member States: five from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and two from Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thailand).
- Statement II (Incorrect): BIMSTEC came into existence on June 6, 1997, through the Bangkok Declaration, not the Dhaka Declaration of 1999.
- Statement III (Incorrect): The founding members (1997) were Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand (originally called BIST-EC). Myanmar joined later in 1997, while Nepal and Bhutan became full members only in 2004. Therefore, Nepal was not a founding member.
- Statement IV (Incorrect): Under the rationalized sectors of cooperation adopted in 2022, India leads the Security pillar (which includes Counter-Terrorism, Disaster Management, and Energy). The Tourism subsector (under the People-to-People Contact pillar) is currently led by Nepal.
Historically, BIMSTEC has gained strategic importance as a bridge between the "Look West" policies of ASEAN countries and the "Act East" policy of India, especially as SAARC remained largely inactive.