Sri Lanka and BIMSTEC: Past, Present and Prospects for the Future

Abstract

The paper analyses Sri Lanka’s role in the BIMSTEC in the context of the evolving dynamics among the member countries, the securitised nature of the Bay of Bengal and the climatic conditions that are increasingly affecting the region. It focuses on four main areas via which Sri Lanka can strive to make its two-year chairmanship a success, i.e., increased economic engagement, security cooperation, improved connectivity and environmental security. It flags a few measures Sri Lanka as the current chairman can implement and initiate.