Leaders
from the seven-nation BIMSTEC on Tuesday vowed to jointly
combat the growing threat of terrorism, transnational crimes and drug trafficking and
agreed to intensify efforts to enhance connectivity and cooperation in areas
like trade, energy and environment.
The 3rd BIMSTEC Summit Declaration, issued at the end of the meeting of
leaders from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and
Nepal, said the members recognised the threat that terrorism poses to
peace, stability and economic progress and agreed for closer cooperation in
combating all forms of terrorism and transnational crimes.
The
leaders called for expediting the ratification for entry into force of the
BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism,
Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking and also for the
early signing of the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal
Matters, the two issues flagged by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his address
to the summit. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together over 20 per cent of the world
population, which is about 1.5 billion, and a GDP of over USD 2.5 trillion.