Disaster management in BIMSTEC region "a priority for India": MEA after earthquakes in Thailand, Myanmar

New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): India on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to regional cooperation in disaster management following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand.
Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar, during the special briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, emphasised that the BIMSTEC region is susceptible to extreme weather events and natural disasters, making collaboration in disaster management a priority area for India.
"The BIMSTEC region is prone to extreme weather events and natural disasters. Its relevance can be seen today in the devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Collaboration in disaster management and between our disaster management authorities through HADR exercises has been a priority area for India," he said.
India's focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercises is aimed at strengthening regional response mechanisms and promoting cooperation among disaster management authorities.
This comes after India swiftly responded to the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand today.
Mazumdar added that BIMSTEC has made significant progress in developing a collective disaster management system, including the establishment of the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in India.
"India hosts the regular BIMSTEC disaster management exercises and collaboration activities involving advanced weather forecasting. We also host the BIMSTEC centre for Weather and Climate," he said.
As part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), India has been actively engaging with its member states to enhance disaster resilience in the region. The BIMSTEC region is prone to cyclones, tsunamis, and earthquakes, which have resulted in significant loss of life and property in recent years.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that India is analyzing damage reports, primarily in Myanmar, and is in touch with local authorities to assess the exact requirements for assistance and relief materials.
"We are currently analysing reports of damage primarily in Myanmar. We are in touch with the authorities in Myanmar and are also looking at the exact requirements for the assistance and relief material that might be required. India has always been the first responder in the neighbourhood whenever these kinds of natural disasters have taken place...," said Misri during the briefing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern and offered India's full support to the affected countries. He instructed authorities to remain on standby and directed the Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate relief efforts with the governments of Myanmar and Thailand.
India has a history of being the first responder in the neighborhood during natural disasters, and this instance is no exception. The country's proactive approach to disaster relief and its dedication to helping affected communities are evident in its swift response.
Mazumdar further said that the Energy Centre in Bengaluru shows India's priority in energy security in the region. He said that the centre helps with PM Modi's vision of 'One World, One sun, One grid vision'.
"Energy security and energy connectivity for the region are also our priorities. We host the Energy Centre in Bengaluru. The centre coordinates the work towards creating BIMSTEC regional grid interconnection in line with the Prime Minister's 'One World, One sun, One grid vision'. India has been taking several initiatives in BIMSTEC, and during this summit, you will see a large number of them being rolled out as well," he said.
Mazumdar said that India's vision with regard to BIMSTEC is capacity building and connectivity.
"Our focus in BIMSTEC is on institution and capacity building, strengthening security, including maritime and cybersecurity, climate security, including disaster preparedness, food and human security, and increased connectivity, which is trade, energy, transport, digital, and people to people, which are our priority areas. We lead the security pillar of the cooperation, and its focus is on establishing strong legal frameworks to combat terrorism and transnational crimes and prevent violent extremism in the region. And at the same time establishing cooperative mechanisms that will facilitate close cooperation among security and law enforcement agencies," he said.
Mazumdar said that the visit is expected to witness the signing of several bilateral documents.
"They will witness the signing of several bilateral documents. The Prime Minister is also expected to have an audience with His Majesty King Rama 10, and Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand," Misri said.
Misri added that apart from the bilateral component, PM Modi will be attending the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on April 4. The chair of BIMSTEC, currently held by Thailand, will go to Bangladesh later.
"In addition to the bilateral component of the visit, the Prime Minister will be attending the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. The theme of this summit is BIMSTEC: prosperous, resilient, and Open. The summit on the 4th of April is to be preceded by the BIMSTEC Ministerial Conference and also by the senior officials' meeting. As is the normal practice, the chair of BIMSTEC will rotate from the current chair, Thailand, to the next chair, which is Bangladesh," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Thailand from April 3rd to 4th, marking his third visit to the country.
According to Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar, Modi will participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit and hold bilateral meetings with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra
"The Prime Minister will visit Thailand to participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit and for an official visit to Thailand from the 3-4 April. This will be the Prime Minister's 3rd visit to Thailand. In November 2019, he had attended the ASEAN and East Asia Summit that Thailand hosted, and earlier, he had been to Bangkok en route to Tokyo in November 2016 when he had gone to pay homage to the late King Rama IX," he said.
This visit highlights the historically warm bilateral relations between India and Thailand, which share civilizational, cultural, and religious bonds. Thailand is a key maritime neighbor and a valuable partner in India's Act East policy and vision for the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)