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The BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand brought PM Modi face-to-face with Nepal’s KP Sharma Oli, Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus and Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
PM Modi sitting next to Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus in the BIMSTEC Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus were seen sitting next to each other at the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand, where Nepalese leader KP Sharma Oli was also present.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra received PM Modi and other Heads of State/Heads of Government to the BIMSTEC Dinner in Bangkok. The summit brought PM Modi face to face with Yunus, Oli, Sri Lankan PM Harini Amarasuriya and Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organisation consisting of seven member states located around the Bay of Bengal. It comprises of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar.
PM Modi’s Meeting With Yunus
There had long been speculation over Modi’s meeting with Yunus amid a decline in bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government and reports of atrocities on minorities, particularly Bangladeshi Hindus.
It has been learnt through highly placed sources that no bilateral meeting is scheduled between the two leaders. It has also been learnt that the Bangladeshi leader has been seeking a meeting with PM Modi for the past few months but it could not be scheduled.
Amid reports of attacks on minorities, including Hindus, India has repeatedly expressed its concerns to Bangladesh. Dhaka, however, claims that the violence is politically motivated and not communal.
Despite provocative statements by Bangladeshi leaders, PM Modi has attempted to keep relations with Bangladesh in good faith, as evident when he extended warm Eid-ul-Fitr and National Day greetings to Yunus.
BIMSTEC Summit: What’s It About?
The Ministry of External Affairs earlier said the BIMSTEC leaders at the Bangkok summit are expected to deliberate on ways and means to infuse greater momentum in cooperation among the member nations.
The theme for the summit is “Proactive, Resilient and Open BIMSTEC (PRO- BIMSTEC)” and the Bangkok Vision 2030 is expected to set a clear direction and goals for cooperation, and promote the region as an area of peace, stability and economic sustainability. The vision will also dwell on enhancing cooperation on adaptation to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
As India-Bangladesh relations face uncertainty, Yunus has now started reaching out to China and Pakistan. Bangladesh has already removed restrictions on Pakistani exports, helping boost trade between them. He also recently wrapped up a visit to China and sought closer economic ties with Beijing.
- Location :
Bangkok, Thailand