How is bimstec relevant to bhutan?

Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec), was appointed as the new Secretary General on January 4, 2024 and is currently on a four-day introductory visit to Bhutan. Our correspondent Jigmi Wangdi’s conversation with Mani Pandey is here in the form of a Q&A.

Bimstec has been working on a free trade agreement (FTA) since 2004. However, it has not yet been implemented. Why?

The progress of the free trade agreement has certainly not met expectations. But we are hopeful for the future and believe that we can make more progress because all member countries recognize that they need to promote multi-sectoral economic and technical cooperation in the Bay of Bengal and promote trade and investment in the region so that member countries can benefit from the progress made by other countries in the region so that the entire region can move forward together.

The collective charter for Nepal and Bhutan (for landlocked countries) has yet to bring any tangible benefits to either country. Why?

I think the fact that Bhutan and Nepal decided to join BiMSTEC in 2004, in itself, shows that although they are not true Bay of Bengal countries, they will benefit from regional cooperation among these seven countries. I think Bhutan will benefit from cooperation with all these countries through the regional framework. Connectivity has been a very important area of ​​BiMSTEC and I think all countries will benefit from it. Even in the energy sector, one of the areas that the member states have been focusing on is grid interconnection. Again, the member states have an expectation that they will all benefit from power interconnection and it will also help them in their transition to green energy and all the member states are obliged to comply with this.

Bhutan ratified the Charter of the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Economic and Technical Cooperation Organization last year, marking a significant commitment to regional cooperation. How do you think this ratification will affect Bhutan’s role and contribution in the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Economic and Technical Cooperation Organization? What specific initiatives are planned to strengthen cooperation, especially in the context of economic growth and regional integration?

This is a very important development because all member states had to ratify the Charter. Now it is globally recognized as a regional organization. The Charter also allows us to welcome observers and even new members, and allows the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Economic and Technical Cooperation Organization to engage in external cooperation through bilateral partnerships with regional or international countries. We have been doing this cooperation before the Charter was ratified. But now the Charter gives us the roadmap we need. It has influenced our vision for regional cooperation and also set certain rules and modalities for the future operation of the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Economic and Technical Cooperation Organization. Therefore, with the implementation of the Charter, we will be able to carry out more and better cooperation.

Environmental sustainability is one of the key focus areas of Bimstec. How can Bhutan’s efforts in environmental protection and sustainability be integrated into Bimstec’s broader initiatives to address regional environmental challenges?

Climate change and its impacts are a very important area of ​​cooperation in the region, as we are all painfully aware of the impacts of climate change and the challenges we face, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation, including disaster management, which we have witnessed more in the past few years.

Environment and climate change is an area where Bhutan is taking a leading role in the area of ​​cooperation. This is a new area of ​​cooperation. So far, we have held two meetings of the Joint Working Group on Environment and Climate Change and a number of plans have been negotiated and adopted. The priority areas are biodiversity, addressing the impacts of climate change, and waste management in relation to environmental protection. However, there is a comprehensive action plan and member states are looking at initiatives in each action plan to cooperate at the regional level. In the coming months and years, we will see initiatives from Bhutan and other member states to advance cooperation.

Given the diverse cultural heritage of the member states of the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Economic and Technical Cooperation Organization, what do you think about cultural exchanges and tourism between Bhutan and other member states?

Nepal is the lead member in terms of people-to-people exchanges. The areas of cooperation between the two sides include culture and tourism. The two sides maintain cooperation because there is an indispensable need for cultural and tourism cooperation. I think all member states will benefit from the development of tourism within the region and cooperation in attracting tourists from outside the region. If we look at our 1.8 billion people, we will find that there is a huge potential for tourism within the region. In addition, if we look at our common cultural heritage, history and historical monuments, our people may be interested in traveling within the region. We have a network of tour operators who meet regularly and have held three meetings so far. We have been working on creating some regional routes for tourists to encourage them to travel from one country to another, and also to facilitate tourists from outside. This is a potentially very huge area of ​​cooperation that will benefit the member states, so we have given it great attention.

There was a proposal to hold cultural festivals, music festivals and film festivals under the banner of BIMSTEC so that people can connect more with BIMSTEC, especially the young people who are not even aware of BIMSTEC. To make them more aware of BIMSTEC, there was also a proposal to hold a youth conference to bring together young people from the seven member countries. As I mentioned, in the coming months and years, you will see more cooperation among BIMSTEC members in different areas of people-to-people relations.