The story so far: The fifth summit of the now 25-year-old Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) hosted by Sri Lanka, was held on Wednesday, March 30, in a hybrid fashion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the summit virtually, called for unity and cooperation in the region as it faces economic and health challenges. He also announced the adoption of the organisation's institutional architecture- the BIMSTEC charter.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for External Affairs, S. Jaishankar was in Colombo for the ministerial meeting of BIMSTEC members on Tuesday, March 29. Citing the current Russia-Ukraine crisis, He emphasised the importance of maintaining international peace and stability. An official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday, that under the new changes adopted in the summit, India will now be the “security pillar” of the BIMSTEC.
