English Article

BIMSTEC Meet

Myanmar FM to attend BIMSTEC meet.

It is better to engage Myanmar rather than “isolate” the country, said Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage (retired), explaining Colombo’s decision to invite Myanmar military administration’s Foreign Minister to the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit this week. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders at the summit being held in “hybrid mode” from March 28 to 30. Mr. Rajapaksa will chair the session on March 30, with leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Thailand joining him virtually. Myanmar’s Foreign Minister will speak at the session, officials in Colombo said. This is the first time that Mr. Modi — joining the event virtually — will be at a forum that includes the military junta-run ‘State Administrative Council’ (SAC). External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will participate in the BIMSTEC ministerial meeting in person. Last year, Colombo invited Myanmar’s junta-appointed Foreign Minister — just over a month after the military’s power grab — for the virtual meeting of the regional body, sparking criticism from pro-democracy activists in Myanmar. Commenting on the scope of the summit, Mr. Colombage told The Hindu that BIMSTEC must now “walk the talk” on regional cooperation. “We need more travel options, people to people connectivity, economic engagement, and trade among members,” he said. DELHI (H.O.): 632, Ground Floor, Main Road, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-9 | Ph.: 011-27658013, 7042772062/63 44 The MEA did not respond to requests for a comment on the inclusion of Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin to address the group virtually, an apparent departure from the line taken by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) that decided in February not to invite the Foreign Minister to its retreat. It asked Myanmar to send only a “non-political” representative. On the inclusion of the junta administration on the guest list, Mr. Colombage said, “Inviting Myanmar to join the summit virtually does not amount to Sri Lanka recognising what is happening in Myanmar. At the same time, rather than isolating a country, it is better to have them in your fold, and talk to them, discuss, engage.”