BIMSTEC is the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation formed in 1997 between 7 countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It aims to foster economic cooperation through projects related to trade, investment, technology, and infrastructure development. While BIMSTEC has collaborated on projects like transport infrastructure and developing human resources, its achievements have been limited due to a lack of priority and commitment from member states like India. Moving forward, BIMSTEC hopes to reduce poverty and protect biodiversity through initiatives in areas like education, traditional medicine, and trade.

1. BIMSTEC

2. Introduction
 BIMSTEC is short for Bay Of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
 members are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal

3. Background Information
 On 6 June 1997, a new sub-regional grouping was formed
in Bangkok and it was named as BIST-EC
 On 22 December 1997, when Myanmar joined it has
changed it’s name to BIMSTEC
 The objective of building such an alliance was to harness
shared and accelerated growth through mutual cooperation
in different areas of common interests

4. Benefits For The Members
• Members will have rapid economic development through
identification and implementation of specific cooperation
projects in the sectors of;
trade Investment &
Industry
technology
Human
resource
development
tourism agriculture energy infrastructure
transportation

5. Achievement & Contribution
 In 2005, BIMSTEC collaborated with Asian Development
Bank to help promote and improve transport infrastructure
and logistic among the BIMSTEC countries

6. Recent Projects
• Aimed at developing human
resources in the region in order to
build the knowledge based
economy
Technical cooperation
& HRM Development
• Long term multiple entry visa to
facilitate business travel within
BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC business
travel facilitation
•In order to stimulate trade and
investment in membersFree Trade Area
Framework

7. Future goals
Poverty Alleviation
• Through education and self employment, the role of
women and making poor people bankable
Protection of Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge
(traditional medicine)
• By promoting traditional medicine and generic drugs,
so that the poor would have access to affordable
treatment

8. Challenges and threats
 BIMSTEC has gained so little national and regional significance
and this is one of the main challenges for them;
This challenge occurs mainly because India is by far the biggest
country in BIMSTEC. Since India did not take much interest in
BIMSTEC, other members hasn’t been influential either
• Another big challenge is the poor bilateral relationship between
the BIMSTEC countries.

9. Conclusion
 Although BIMSTEC started with a great purpose it lacks of proper
goals and implementation of goals. That’s why it got the lowest
priority. In order to succeed with their goals, they must include
more big economic Asian countries

10. References
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengal_Initiative_for_Multi-
Sectoral_Technical_and_Economic_Cooperation
 http://www.bimstec.org/index.php
 http://sameaf.mfa.go.th/en/organization/detail.php?ID=4493