Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the member countries have decided to sign the BIMSTEC convention regarding mutual cooperation in criminal cases, international terrorism, international organised crimes and smuggling of drugs; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRIMATI SUSHMA SWARAJ)
(a) & (b) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 452 REGARDING “BIMSTEC CONVENTION” FOR ANSWER ON 05.04.2017
The BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking was signed by BIMSTEC Members on 11th December 2009 at the 12th Ministerial Meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. All Members of BIMSTEC have ratified the Convention, except two Members. India ratified the Convention on 1st December 2010. At the BIMSTEC Leaders'' Retreat held in Goa on 16th October 2016, Members committed to early ratification of the Convention. The need for early ratification of the Convention was reiterated at the 17th BIMSTEC Senior Officials'' Meeting held on 7th February 2017 in Kathmandu.
At the Goa Retreat, BIMSTEC Leaders also committed to expedite the signing of BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. While India has completed its internal procedure for signing the Convention, other Members are in the process of doing so.
Counter Terrorism cooperation has been a high priority for BIMSTEC. The Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes, under India''s lead, coordinates work of four sub-groups in the areas of intelligence sharing; anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism; prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs; psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals; and legal and law enforcement issues.
India hosted the first meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs in New Delhi on March 21, 2017. The meeting discussed common security challenges, including the threat posed by terrorism to peace and stability in the region, and measures to counter and prevent spread of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization, to enhance cooperation and coordination among their law enforcement, intelligence and security organizations, and capacity building.