New Delhi, March 28 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be strengthening India's profound civilizational ties, maritime connectivity, and cross-cultural interactions with the BIMSTEC member nations during his visit to Bangkok for the 6th BIMSTEC Summit next week.

This visit will see the signing of a Maritime Transport Agreement with BIMSTEC countries at the summit scheduled from April 2-4 in Thailand's capital.

Established in June 1997, the BIMSTEC regional group serves as a vital connection between South and Southeast Asia, comprising five South Asian members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, alongside two Southeast Asian countries: Myanmar and Thailand.

“India is firmly dedicated to enhancing connectivity within BIMSTEC as numerous regional integration efforts depend on it. Although the connectivity blueprint has been established, its execution is now the focus of discussion. The signing of a Maritime Transport Agreement at this summit marks a significant advancement,” stated Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a media briefing in New Delhi on Friday.

This summit will be the first in-person gathering of BIMSTEC leaders since the 4th BIMSTEC Summit held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2018. The last summit was conducted virtually from Colombo. The theme for the 6th Summit is 'BIMSTEC – Prosperous, Resilient and Open'. Leaders are anticipated to explore strategies for revitalizing BIMSTEC cooperation.

“The leaders will also consider various institutional and capacity-building initiatives to enhance collaboration within the BIMSTEC framework. India has undertaken numerous initiatives to bolster regional cooperation and partnership in areas such as security enhancement, trade facilitation, physical, maritime, and digital connectivity, and collaboration in food, energy, climate, and human security, along with promoting capacity building, skill development, and stronger people-to-people connections,” the MEA statement noted.

On a bilateral note, PM Modi is set to meet the Prime Minister of Thailand on April 3. The two leaders are expected to assess bilateral cooperation and outline future partnerships. India and Thailand share maritime borders alongside enduring civilizational links rooted in cultural, linguistic, and religious associations.

This will be the second meeting between PM Modi and Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

“Our bilateral relations span various cooperation areas, including defence and security, trade and investment, connectivity, science and technology, innovation, education, space, health, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges,” Secretary Mazumdar remarked.

Beyond BIMSTEC, India and Thailand collaborate in multiple multilateral forums such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, and Indian Ocean Rim Association.

“Economically, Thailand ranks as the third largest economy in ASEAN and is our fourth-largest trading partner following Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Our bilateral trade is nearly $15 billion, with exports to Thailand around $5 billion and imports at $10 billion,” Mazumdar noted.

Reiterating the long-standing cultural and religious connections, India recently dispatched the sacred relics of Lord Buddha and two of his prominent disciples for a 25-day exhibition across five cities in Thailand. This successful exhibition solidified the historical bonds between both nations, with approximately four million visitors paying their respects to the relics from February 25 to March 9.