Ajit Doval chairs BIMSTEC NSA meeting on terrorism, cyber security and organised crime in Bay of Bengal

New Delhi: The National Security Advisers of BIMSTEC states (Bangladesh-India-Nepal-Bhutan-Sri Lanka-Myanmar-Thailand), led by Ajit Doval, on Thursday discussed practical and result-oriented solutions to combat terrorism and organised crime in the Bay of Bengal region amid growing threats of cross-border extremism.

The NSAs also discussed practical steps to ensure security in the cyber, maritime and energy domains, the need to enhance connectivity, facilitate efficient disaster management and to tackle new and emerging threats in the region, an official said following the meeting.

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Addressing the fifth BIMSTEC National Security Advisers' Meeting here, Doval stressed that member countries must work together to safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity.

"We are meeting today in the backdrop of a challenging global landscape. We are witnessing conflicts and geopolitical uncertainties. We are also facing multi-domain security threats, amplified by rapid technological advancements. Disruptions in global supply chains have also resulted in economic hardship for all our countries," Doval said.

"In this setting, there's an urgent need for us to collaborate, take decisive actions for our mutual benefit, and find solutions through mutual discussions and deliberations to the vexed problems that we are all facing," he added.

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Referring to the strategic importance of the grouping, Doval said BIMSTEC connects two of the world's most dynamic regions.

Doval noted that BIMSTEC has strengthened collaboration across several critical sectors.

"We have advanced and strengthened cooperation in fighting terrorism, combating transnational organised crime, cyber threats, meeting maritime challenges, and we are poised to combat new and emerging threats together."

The NSA said "BIMSTEC's long-standing goals of regional security, connectivity, capacity building, and economic security should continue to drive our collective efforts."