India seeks to pose Bay of Bengal as ‘Common Security Space’

India will seek to use the August 30-31 BIMSTEC summit of the Bay of Bengal nations in Nepal to step up regional cooperation against cross-border terror in the backdrop of SAARC’s failure to combat the menace due to Pakistan’s intransigence.

New Delhi at the Summit will nudge for recognising Bay of Bengal as a “common security space” and urge the member nations to work out ways for developing “common responses” to challenges.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would call upon the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) nations to “recognise the Bay of Bengal as a common security space” and to “work out collective strategies for common responses”, it has been learnt.


India has of late been keen on stepping up security and counter-terrorism initiative within the BIMSTEC, as moves for such regional cooperation within the SAARC (South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation) have not proceeded due to Islamabad.

India is keen for early ratification of the BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Trans-National Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking and early implementation of the Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, indicated persons familiar with the subject.