India Hosts First BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting; Delhi Declaration Adopted

The first meeting of the Home Ministers of the BIMSTEC took place in the New Delhi on October 13th 2026, and it was headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah of India. The meeting included representatives of the all the seven member countries and it ended with the approval of the Delhi Declaration. Additionally, the participating countries signed agreements that were intended to promote collaboration on tackling terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, and illicit financial flows.

What Is BIMSTEC?

BIMSTEC refers to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.

This is a regional body that aims at fostering economic cooperation, connectivity, and security among nations bordering the Bay of Bengal as well as nations in South and Southeast Asia.

The body was formed on June 6, 1997, by the Bangkok Declaration. The body used to operate under the name BIST-EC, including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Myanmar joined in December 1997, while Nepal and Bhutan joined in 2004.

Member Countries of BIMSTEC

Member country	Region
Bangladesh	South Asia
Bhutan	South Asia
India	South Asia
Myanmar	Southeast Asia
Nepal	South Asia
Sri Lanka	South Asia
Thailand	Southeast Asia

The importance of BIMSTEC lies in the fact that it links South Asia with Southeast Asia and facilitates cooperation in regional security, trade, transportation, energy, and people-to-people linkages.

Key Points of the Delhi Declaration 2026

The BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Conference was attended by delegates of all member states of BIMSTEC and culminated in adopting the Delhi Declaration along with various pacts for promoting cooperation among the member nations.

The conference revolved around cooperation for handling cross-border security threats, which require concerted effort from the whole region rather than efforts made individually by the nations.

Points of cooperation were,

• Measures for the counterterrorism and financing of terrorism.
• Drug trafficking and human trafficking.
• Cooperation in the cybercrime investigation.
• Mutual legal assistance and extradition under the rules of the national and international laws.
• Repatriation of criminal fugitives and institutional building.

India’s Stance on Regional Security

According to Amit Shah, BIMSTEC was an effective forum for regional integration, cooperation in economy, and collective security. India’s stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism and joint action against organised crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking was mentioned.

Shah quoted the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in his address at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit held in Bangkok on April 4, 2025, that BIMSTEC is a role model of inclusive development and security.

It was further stated that security of one member-state means security of the entire region.