- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Thailand starting Thursday to participate in the sixth BIMSTEC Summit. During this visit, he will meet with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to discuss bilateral relations.
Throughout his trip, PM Modi aims to enhance India’s strong civilizational ties, maritime connectivity, and cross-cultural exchanges with the member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
The summit, themed “BIMSTEC – Prosperous, Resilient and Open,” will focus on various institutional and capacity-building measures to strengthen collaboration within the BIMSTEC framework, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs last week.
India has been active in BIMSTEC initiatives aimed at bolstering regional cooperation and partnership. Key areas of focus include enhancing security, facilitating trade and investment, establishing physical, maritime, and digital connectivity, collaborating on food, energy, climate, and human security, promoting capacity building and skill development, and strengthening people-to-people ties, according to the MEA statement.
PM Modi’s visit, at the invitation of the Thai government, is expected to reinforce ties and reaffirm India’s commitment to regional cooperation. This will mark the second meeting between PM Modi and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
PM Modi last visited Thailand in 2019, and this upcoming trip is anticipated to build on the positive trajectory of bilateral relations. The previous BIMSTEC Summit was held virtually in Colombo.
Established in June 1997, the BIMSTEC regional grouping serves as a vital connection between South and Southeast Asia, comprising five members from South Asia—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka—and two from Southeast Asia, Myanmar and Thailand.
Thailand, a maritime neighbor of India, is a key partner in India’s Act East policy and vision for the Indo-Pacific, and an important collaborator within BIMSTEC. The nations share deep civilizational bonds characterized by cultural, linguistic, and religious ties.
Notably, India recently sent holy relics of Lord Buddha and two of his main disciples for a 25-day exhibition across five cities in Thailand, which was a remarkable success and further solidified the longstanding ties between the two countries.
