LKIIRSS Hosts BIMSTEC Secretary General for a Guest Lecture on “BIMSTEC at 30: Three Decades of Partnership, Progress and Regional Cooperation”

September 12, 2026    Reading Time: 2 minutes

Reading Time: 2 min read

On 10 September 2026, the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) hosted a guest lecture by His Excellency Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), on “BIMSTEC at 30: Three Decades of Partnership, Progress and Regional Cooperation.”

In her introductory remarks, Ms. Himalee Arunatilaka, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, acknowledged Sri Lanka’s role as a founding member of BIMSTEC, and the ever increasing need for unity and collaboration among the member countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – in the face of the challenges brought about by the rapidly changing regional and international environment.

Delivering the keynote lecture, H. E. Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey traced the evolution and institutional development of BIMSTEC. He highlighted the successful regional cooperation between the seven member states over the past three decades and the numerous initiatives this partnership has resulted in including, but not limited to, the establishment of BIMSTEC Food Reserve, creation of a BIMSTEC Seed Bank, promotion of regional trade in agricultural commodities, and promotion of climate resilient agriculture. The practical and sector-specific initiatives being advanced through BIMSTEC, including the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity, Maritime Transport Cooperation and efforts towards a Motor Vehicles Agreement, alongside cooperation in agriculture and food security, culture, disaster management, women’s development, environment and climate change, energy, health, human resource development, tourism, trade and investment, and the Blue Economy, were also discussed.

Further, he emphasised the growing salience of regional multilateralism against the current backdrop of increasing uncertainties brought about by climate change and the dynamic state of global politics, stating that it provides a practical way forward for the member states that share the similar environmental and geopolitical challenges across their countries. The organization’s goals for the future, including an establishment for a Center of Excellence for Public Health and the creation of an Expert Group on Women Development to integrate women-led development perspectives into BIMSTEC Plans of Action, were also expounded upon.

BIMSTEC’s efforts to strengthen people-to-people connectivity through engagement with policy think tanks, tourism, education, and cultural exchange, were a recurring theme throughout, underscoring the importance of both institutional cooperation and stronger connections among the peoples of Member States.

This is timely, considering LKIIRSS’s involvement in planning for the upcoming 8th BIMSTEC Network of Policy Think Tanks (BNPTT) meeting in Sri Lanka.

The event wrapped up with a Q & A session moderated by Senior Research Fellow, LKIIRSS Ms. Madhuka Rukmalgama, and discussed further the importance of regional cooperation among BIMSTEC states when facing threats brought by climate change and AI, and the organization’s commitment to the prosperity and longevity of the people of the member states.