Kathmandu : The upcoming summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has been postponed.

Thai government on Thursday postponed the summit of the sub-regional BIMSTEC bloc, citing a lack of preparations due to the new government formation.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra decided to postpone the summit on Thursday afternoon, Thailand’s state-owned PBS World reported, quoting a high-level government source.

The summit was scheduled for September 3-4.

Thailand currently chairs the BIMSTEC which connects South Asia and South East Asia. Established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration, it comprises seven members: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal.

After Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed Srettha Thavisin from the position of Prime Minister, the ruling Pheu Thai party selected Paetongtarn Shinawatra as his successor on August 14.

Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the niece of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Prime Minister Oli was scheduled to fly to Bangkok on September 3.

What led to the postponement of BIMSTEC Summit?
According to officials of the Government of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that he would not attend the summit if the current caretaker government of Thailand organized it.

Indian Ambassador to Thailand Nagesh Singh informed Thai officials that Prime Minister Modi would not attend the summit if organized by the incumbent caretaker government.

The Foreign Ministry of Thailand held an interaction with the ambassador of the member state of BIMSTEC in Bangkok on Thursday.

“Indian Ambassador Singh in the meeting said Prime Minister Modi is not willing to attend the summit, “the source said, “India the key state member of BIMSTEC, the summit will have no importance if the Indian Prime Minister abstains from it.”

Nepali Ambassador Dhan Bahadur Oli was also present during the meeting. Oli said that the BIMSTEC summit will have no relevance in the absence of Prime Minister Modi.

The uncertainty of the timely holding of the BIMSTEC Summit grew after the Supreme Court of Thailand on August 14 relieved Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of his post over an ethics violation. The Constitutional Court found him guilty of a serious ethical breach regarding his appointment of a Cabinet member who was jailed in connection with an alleged bribery attempt.

Thailand’s Parliament elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of the divisive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, as the country’s new prime minister on August 16.

Despite being elected as the new Prime Minister, Paetongtarn has not been able to take the oath of office with a dozen parties in the ruling alliance still struggling to elect their ministers allocated for them.  However, she has got approval from Thai King Vajiralongkorn as per the constitutional provision.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Commence Phumtham Wechayachai is still working as the acting Prime Minister of Thailand and the status of the government is a ‘caretaker’.

Prime Minister of India Modi had said he would not attend the sixth BIMSTEC Summit if it is organized by this caretaker government. On the other hand, it is not certain when the newly elected Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn will form the government and take the oath of office.

Not only India, ambassadors of BIMSTEC member states have already informed the Thai government that their heads of state or heads of the government will not participate if the summit is held by the caretaker government.

On the one hand, there are hardly two weeks left for preparations before the start of the summit and it is uncertain when the new Prime Minister will take the oath on the other. Due to this uncertainty, the sixth BIMSTEC is unlikely to take place on the date stipulated.