National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday, 17 July 2025, called on BIMSTEC member nations to deepen collaboration, take decisive collective action, and resolve shared challenges through dialogue, as geopolitical tensions and multi-domain security threats reshape the global order. Doval made these remarks while addressing the fifth BIMSTEC National Security Advisors' Meeting in New Delhi.

Key Remarks from the Meeting

Speaking at the gathering, Doval underscored the gravity of the current global environment. 'We are meeting today in the backdrop of a challenging global landscape. We are witnessing conflicts and geopolitical uncertainties. We are also facing multi-domain security threats amplified by rapid technological advancement. Disruptions in global supply chains have also resulted in economic hardship for all our countries,' he said.

He emphasised that this moment demands urgent, coordinated responses. 'In this setting, there is an urgent need for us to collaborate, take decisive actions for our mutual benefit, and find solutions through mutual discussions and deliberations to the best problems that we are all facing,' Doval added.

BIMSTEC's Strategic Weight

Doval highlighted the bloc's considerable geopolitical and economic heft. BIMSTEC collectively represents nearly 22 per cent of the world's population and commands a combined GDP of approximately $5 trillion. He described the grouping as united not only by the Bay of Bengal geographically, but also through what he called 'deep civilisational and cultural legacies' forged over a millennium of shared history.

He noted that member states have already made tangible progress on counterterrorism, transnational organised crime, cyber threats, and maritime security — and are now positioned to confront emerging threat vectors together.

India's Strategic Vision

Doval framed India's engagement with BIMSTEC as an expression of three overlapping strategic doctrines: the Neighbourhood First policy, the Act East policy, and what he described as the MAHASAGAR vision. This positioning signals that New Delhi views the Bay of Bengal grouping as a critical pillar of its broader Indo-Pacific strategy, not merely a regional forum.

Notably, this comes as India seeks to diversify its security partnerships amid shifting dynamics in South and Southeast Asia. BIMSTEC, long seen as an underperforming regional body, is increasingly being recalibrated as a vehicle for India's strategic outreach.

Looking Ahead to BIMSTEC's 30th Anniversary

With the bloc set to mark its 30th anniversary in 2027 — having been established on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration — Doval called for a renewed commitment to expanding collaborative potential. 'Let us commit to further expand our collaborative potential and infuse new energy and resources towards ensuring national and regional security,' he said.

The organisation, which originally comprised Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, later admitted Myanmar on 22 December 1997 and Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004, bringing its membership to seven states. As the fifth NSA-level meeting concludes, all eyes will be on whether the deliberations translate into concrete institutional commitments ahead of the anniversary milestone.