:: India

PM calls for maritime security

BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI

Nov. 13: India on Thursday sought to impart a "strategic thrust" to the seven-nation Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) regional grouping by proposing regional maritime security cooperation.

In his speech to the second Bimstec summit which concluded here on Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh highlighted the need for maritime security and transport in the Bay of Bengal to combat the dangers posed by the sea.

He said there was a need to coordinate on issues of maritime transport such as construction of a deep-water port to service the region.

"... new trans-national challenges have emerged. Climate change, energy and food security threaten our developmental efforts. Terrorism and threats from the sea continue to challenge the authority of the state," he said.

According to the summit declaration, the member states finalised a convention on combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.

It also made good progress on memoranda of association for setting up of a Bimstec energy centre and Bimstec weather and climate centre in India, and Bimstec cultural industries commission and Bimstec cultural industries observatory in Bhutan.

Dr Singh said all these initiatives were "work in progress" and only the formality of signing them remained.

He noted with satisfaction at the progress that has been made in the negotiations for a Bimstec Free Trade Area Agreement and called for their early conclusion.