Which of the following countries is/are NOT a member of the 'Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic C…

Question

Which of the following countries is/are NOT a member of the 'Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation (BIMSTEC)'?

1. Thailand

2. Nepal

3. Bhutan

4. Indonesia

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

1. A. 2 and 3
2. B. Only 4 (Correct answer)
3. C. 1 and 4
4. D. Only 1

Correct Answer

Option B — Only 4

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Only 4.

Key Points

• BIMSTEC has seven members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• 4. Indonesia ✗ is NOT a member, giving option (b).
• 1. Thailand ✓, 2. Nepal ✓ and 3. Bhutan ✓ are all members.

Additional Information

• BIMSTEC was formed in 1997 as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand); Myanmar joined the same year, and Nepal and Bhutan in 2004, when it took its present name. Its Secretariat is at Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• It is a bridge between South Asia and South-East Asia and links the Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. Its importance to India has grown as SAARC has remained deadlocked because of India-Pakistan differences.
• India is the lead country for the Security sector, which includes counter-terrorism and transnational crime, energy and disaster management.
• The BIMSTEC Charter entered into force in 2024. Memory aid: BIMSTEC excludes Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Maldives, all of which are in SAARC.