India hosts inaugural BIMSTEC Home Ministers summit, adopts Delhi Declaration

India hosted the inaugural BIMSTEC Home Ministers summit on Tuesday, culminating in the adoption of the Delhi Declaration and a series of agreements aimed at curbing terrorism, drug and human trafficking, and illicit finance. The gathering, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, followed a senior‑officials meeting led by the Union Home Secretary. Delegates from all seven BIMSTEC members—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand—participated. Shah said BIMSTEC provides a key forum for regional integration, economic ties and shared security. He echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s view expressed at the April 4, 2025 Bangkok summit that the bloc serves as a model for inclusive growth and safety, and urged the Home Ministers to turn political will into concrete mechanisms. The Delhi Declaration calls for tighter intelligence exchange, joint financial probes, mutual legal assistance and extradition to deny terrorist groups any safe haven. Shah highlighted five focus areas: drug control, counter‑terrorism and legal cooperation, repatriation of fugitives, cyber‑security and cyber‑crime investigations, and capacity‑building among institutions. Describing drug trafficking as “death trafficking,” Shah warned that the trade threatens youth, culture and future generations, and stressed that only a coordinated regional response can succeed. He also announced plans for a BIMSTEC Disaster Management Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, positioning India as the region’s first responder and urging all members to help make the centre operational. ## Context BIMSTEC links South Asian and Southeast Asian nations bordering the Bay of Bengal, and its security cooperation builds on earlier economic ties. Strengthening joint action against crime and disaster response is intended to raise overall stability for all member states.