National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in a group photo with other delegates during the 5th Meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs, in New Delhi on Thursday. (BIMSTEC Secretariat/ANI Photo)Ahead of BIMSTEC’s thirtieth anniversary next year, the Bay of Bengal grouping is stepping up cooperation against evolving security threats, from terrorism and cybercrime to maritime security.At a meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, the national security chiefs of seven member countries endorsed a set of guiding principles for maritime law enforcement and disaster relief operations, highlighting the grouping’s growing focus on regional security.What is BIMSTEC?BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, comprises the countries of the Bay of Bengal region. It seeks to act as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia.Originally formed as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) in 1997, it became BIMST-EC after Myanmar joined, and BIMSTEC in 2004 with Nepal and Bhutan.The grouping remained relatively inactive until India’s renewed push to mobilise regional support following the terrorist attack in Uri in September 2016, as well as a boycott of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit scheduled in Islamabad that November. A month later, India hosted an outreach summit with BIMSTEC leaders alongside the BRICS summit in Goa.Why was BIMSTEC formed?Given that SAARC has been largely defunct, BIMSTEC provides a common platform for countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia.While the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) serves this role for Southeast Asian nations, the lack of forward movement in the fraught India-Pakistan relationship has left few options for others in South Asia. Landlocked Nepal and Bhutan may also benefit from access to the Bay of Bengal as a result of better ties with BIMSTEC countries.Story continues below this adTogether, BIMSTEC’s seven members account for around 1.7 billion people, about 22% of the world’s population, and have a combined GDP of nearly $5 trillion.Also Read | India and Regionalism in South AsiaAnother major factor is the looming presence of China. It has undertaken a massive drive to finance and build infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the last decade or so, in almost all BIMSTEC countries except Bhutan and India.For India, BIMSTEC offers a platform to advance regional connectivity and cooperation as an alternative to China, while showcasing the Bay of Bengal as open and peaceful, in contrast to China’s behaviour in the South China Sea.But there are challenges. C Raja Mohan, contributing editor on international affairs for The Indian Express, pointed to the ongoing disputes between Bangladesh and Myanmar, and tensions between Delhi and Dhaka following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. With the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, the country’s potential as a land bridge between South and Southeast Asia is also diminished. Though the grouping may not see breakthroughs soon, “unlike SAARC, which never truly sailed, BIMSTEC is a slow boat advancing toward greater engagement,” he wrote.What was the outcome of the meeting?Story continues below this adThe seven countries agreed to deepen cooperation against terrorism, organised crime, cyber, maritime and energy security threats. They also endorsed guidelines for maritime humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as guiding principles for interactions between maritime law enforcement agencies at sea.The maritime measures aim to speed up joint disaster-response operations while improving predictability and safety during interactions between member states’ maritime agencies in the Bay of Bengal.Doval said the current geopolitical environment, marked by conflicts, supply-chain disruptions and emerging technological threats, underscored the need for closer regional cooperation.