ISAS Briefs

25 September 2018, Singapore – Underpinning the importance of the Bay of Bengal Initiativefor Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) as a key regionalgrouping around the rim of the Bay of Bengal, experts called for greater focus on thegrouping, including institutional efforts on BIMSTEC studies.

Delivering the special address at the international workshop on ‘BIMSTEC at 20: Prioritiesand Prospects’, Ambassador-at-Large Ong Keng Yong recalled the ASEAN experience andemphasised on the centrality of issues for any grouping to move forward. The formersecretary-general of ASEAN said that the current will to strengthen the BIMSTECmechanism provides an opportunity not be missed. Ambassador Ong said that it is, therefore,imperative for BIMSTEC to act quickly to produce tangible esults.

Ambassador Ong, who is also the executive deputy chairman of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang University of Singapore, urged IMSTEC to target “low hanging fruits” such as business and market developments. He said that these areas will create goodwill and trust in the organisation’s potential, which will have a virtuous spill-over effect and will open ways for other modes of cooperation. Ambassador Ong added that enhancing infrastructure and standardising regulations to allow cross-border movement of people and goods are of fundamental importance, and that necessary steps must be taken to focus on the digitalisation of the local economies and engagement of its population.