NEW DELHI: Leaders of South and South-East Asian nations mooted the idea of a regional food bank to help needy members states at a regional summit in New Delhi yesterday. “An idea was mooted that countries pool their resources and set up a food bank for needy countries whenever necessary,” Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at a press briefing after the summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
Describing the second BIMSTEC summit as a “very special occasion,” Singh said: “It marks the completion of ten years of the creation of BIMSTEC in 1997.” “BIMSTEC is the bridge between South and South-East Asia,” Singh stated at the joint press conference after the conclusion of the summit. The first summit was held four years ago in Thailand.
“We are all developing countries faced with similar challenges. BIMSTEC is therefore an idea whose time has come,” Singh said. The BIMSTEC summit concluded with a declaration inked by leaders of member countries, recognizing that they have “great potential for economic and social development which provides a sound basis for mutually beneficial cooperation.” They acknowledged: “Our economies have become increasingly inter-linked and inter-dependent.”
Earlier in his opening remarks at a regional summit, Singh called for focused cooperation, especially in the area of maritime transport. Top leaders and officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand attended the daylong summit in New Delhi.
Earlier in the opening address, Singh suggested that to make the regional group effective, “We should prepare a blueprint for future activities that is focused on a limited number of issues of common priority.”
Transport infrastructure and logistics would be key, he said, while placing special focus on maritime transport, which, he said, could include construction of a deep-sea port to service the region. He also proposed greater cooperation between shipping authorities and logistics networks of member countries.
Describing the regional group as a bridge between South and South-East Asia, Singh said it had the potential of playing an important role in regional economic growth by promoting effective road, rail, air and shipping services and free movement of capital, goods, people and ideas.
Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Bangladesh chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein, Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat attended the summit.
— With input from agencies
