Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven South Asian and Southeast Asian nations, housing 1.73 billion people and having a combined gross domestic product of US$5.2 trillion (2023). The BIMSTEC member states – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation BIMSTEC | |
|---|---|
| Secretariat | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Official language | English |
| Membership | |
| Leaders | |
• Chairmanship | Thailand (since March 2022) |
• Secretary General | Shri Indra Mani Pandey India (since 2023) |
| Establishment | 6 June 1997 |
| Area | |
• | 4,876,941 km2 (1,882,997 sq mi) (7th) |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 1,723,388,648 |
• Density | 353.37/km2 (915.2/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | US$18.582 trillion (3rd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $5.225 trillion (4th) |
Website bimstec | |
Fourteen priority sectors of cooperation have been identified and several BIMSTEC centres have been established to focus on those sectors. A BIMSTEC free trade agreement is under negotiation (c. 2018), also referred Similar to SAARC.
Leadership is rotated in alphabetical order of country names. The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka, Bangladesh.