Among the initiatives offered by member states at a two-day BIMSTEC meeting in kolkata were bridging the gap between South and Southeast Asia through stronger transport links, planting climate-resilient crops like millet, and boosting people-to-people relationships through specialized tourist circuits.
The discussions were reflected in the ‘Kolkata Declaration,’ which was adopted on March 25, the final day of the meeting, according to a top official of the regional organization. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand are members of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC.