India hosts 11th BIMSTEC meeting on counter terrorism, transnational crime
New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) India hosted the 11th meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (JWG-CTTC) in New Delhi on September 28 and 29 with delegations from all member states in attendance, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
“The 11th meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (JWG-CTTC), hosted by the Government of India, was held on 28-29 September 2026 in New Delhi. Delegation from all the BIMSTEC Member States i.e., Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, attended the meeting,” the MEA said in a statement.
The meeting was chaired by Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The meeting discussed traditional and emerging non-traditional security threats in the BIMSTEC region. The participants also deliberated and made recommendations on a wide range of issues to enhance cooperation and collaboration in countering terrorism and transnational crimes in the region,” the statement mentioned.
The meeting also discussed the reports of the meetings of various sub-groups under the BIMSTEC JWG-CTTC, namely the sub-group on human trafficking; the sub-group on prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals; the sub-group on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism; the sub-group on legal and law enforcement issues; and the sub-group on cooperation on countering radicalisation and terrorism.
In July, the National Security Chiefs of BIMSTEC discussed practical and result-oriented solutions to combat terrorism and organised crime, ensure security in the cyber, maritime and energy domains; enhance connectivity; facilitate efficient disaster management; and to tackle new and emerging threats.
The discussions were held during the fifth meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs chaired by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by National Security Advisors/ Heads of delegations from all other Member States, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
BIMSTEC bridges South Asia and Southeast Asia, two of the most significant and vibrant regions of the Indian Ocean. Over the years, BIMSTEC has strengthened cooperation in regional security, disaster management, transport and trade connectivity, technological issues, and people-to-people ties.
