Ensure terror does not find haven: Amit Shah at Bimstec meet

New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized on Tuesday that the member nations of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) must work collectively to prevent terrorist networks from establishing sanctuaries, recruiting members, providing training, raising funds for terrorist activities, or engaging in activities against neighboring countries within the region.

At the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers Conference, which concluded in Delhi with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, Shah reiterated that BIMSTEC has evolved into a crucial platform for regional integration, economic cooperation, and collective security.

Shah outlined five key areas of cooperation: drug control, counter-terrorism and legal cooperation, repatriation of fugitives, cybersecurity, and institutional cooperation and capacity building. He stressed the importance of adopting a "whole of region" approach to tackle the issue of drug trafficking, comparing it to "death trafficking."

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's proposal for a BIMSTEC disaster management center in India, Shah highlighted India's commitment to being a "first responder" in disaster management across the region.

The conference approved the BIMSTEC convention against trafficking, the BIMSTEC plan of action on drug control, and an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on capacity building to combat money-laundering. The declaration also condemned terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, and reiterating the BIMSTEC nations' resolve to address these threats comprehensively.

The home ministers expressed their deepest condolences and solidarity with the victims of terrorist attacks in member states and their families, as well as with the governments of the affected states, calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.