External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today called upon the BIMSTEC nations to collectively fight terrorism and violent extremism as also transnational crimes, narco-trafficking and cyber-attacks which affected their economic development efforts.
“We need to put in place the remaining elements of the legal architecture that will enable our law enforcement agencies to collaborate more closely and more effectively,” he said at the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Trade and Economic Cooperation)ministerial meeting. The BIMSTEC is a regional multilateral organisation that brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
Noting that the international system was going through a very challenging phase, Jaishankar said the challenges of Covid -19 pandemic have not yet fully abated. “But recent developments in Ukraine have added to international disquiet. We have all underscored that the maintenance of international peace and security, and even stability can no longer be taken for granted,” he added.
