Sri Lanka calls for in-person BIMSTEC summit; postpones December meet
BIMSTEC
Sri Lanka has called for an in-person BIMSTEC summit, however, the date is yet to be decided.
It will be the fifth summit of the grouping whenever it takes place. BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation has sevenmembers - India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailandand Sri Lanka. The grouping is more than twentyyears old and was formed in 1997. The last summit took place in Kathmandu in 2018with PM Modi and other member leaders attending the meet.
Sri Lanka is the chair of the grouping and had earlier proposed holding a virtual summit on December 9which has now been postponed. It had earlier proposed a summit in August.
It is the second timeColombo had to post the summit, the reason for which has not been given. In April, the BIMSTEC foreign ministers meet had takenplace virtually during which the agenda for the leaders' summit was taken up. On the agenda at the summit will be the approval of the BIMSTEC charter, BIMSTEC master plan for transport connectivity andBIMSTEC convention on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
The grouping is also working on the finalisation of the BIMSTEC coastal shipping agreement and the motor vehicles agreement.
India has been keen on the groupingwith SAARC unable to function well due to Pakistan's politicisation of many proposals of New Delhi. In 2019, India had invited BIMSTEC heads of government andstates for PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony for the secondterm. After Sri Lanka, Thailand will be the host of the grouping.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Meanwhile, BIMSTEC also faces a dilemma over Myanmar's presence. TheAssociation of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) during October'sannual summit hadnot invited Gen Min Aung Hlaing who seized power in Myanmar earlier this year. The country's militaryleadership has seen global backlash over continued violence in the country.