<p data-path-to-node="7" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">India has reinforced its commitment to establishing seamless maritime and multimodal trade corridors across the Bay of Bengal, highlighting strategic port interoperability, digital single-window coordination, and coastal transit integration during the <b data-path-to-node="7" data-index-in-node="264" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation (AMTC) Workshop</b>.</p><p data-path-to-node="8" id="p-rc_dd80b6588f14788c-95" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><span class="citation-191" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Convened with delegations representing member states&nbsp;</span><b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="53" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand&nbsp;</b><span class="citation-191 citation-end-191" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">the technical workshop focused on operationalizing the landmark AMTC framework.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2901175073="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c2901175073="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="1" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span> <span class="citation-190 citation-end-190" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Indian maritime authorities and Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) representatives emphasized that unifying regulatory standards, mutual recognition of ship documents, and direct coastal shipping will unlock massive untapped trade value and deepen supply chain resilience across South and Southeast Asia.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2901175073="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c2901175073="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="2" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c627362957="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c627362957="" _nghost-ng-c822424761="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p><h3 data-path-to-node="10" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">Key Operational Highlights &amp; Strategic Roadmap</h3><ul data-path-to-node="11" style="padding-inline-start: 32px; font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="11,0,0" id="p-rc_dd80b6588f14788c-96" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="11,0,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Operationalizing the AMTC Framework:</b> <span class="citation-189 citation-end-189" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">With the formal adoption of the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation, discussions centered on harmonizing cabotage dispensations, rationalizing port tariffs, and standardizing maritime documentation across regional gateways to cut transit turnaround times.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2901175073="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c2901175073="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="3" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c627362957="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c627362957="" _nghost-ng-c822424761="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="11,1,0" id="p-rc_dd80b6588f14788c-97" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="11,1,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Bridging Coastal Shipping and Inland Waterways:</b> <span class="citation-188 citation-end-188" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">India showcased its network of eastern seaboard deepwater ports including Kolkata/Haldia, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai as natural transshipment and gateway conduits connecting landlocked neighbors Bhutan and Nepal, while integrating cross-border inland water transit routes with Bangladesh.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2901175073="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c2901175073="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="4" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c627362957="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c627362957="" _nghost-ng-c822424761="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="11,2,0" id="p-rc_dd80b6588f14788c-98" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="11,2,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Digital Harmonization and Port Community Systems:</b> <span class="citation-187 citation-end-187" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Delegates reviewed protocols to interlink national Port Community Systems (PCS) via open API architectures.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2901175073="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c2901175073="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="5" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span> Electronic exchange of customs data, manifests, and electronic Certificates of Origin (e-CoO) was underscored as the primary mechanism to curb physical border dwell.<sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c627362957="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c627362957="" _nghost-ng-c822424761="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="11,3,0" id="p-rc_dd80b6588f14788c-99" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="11,3,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Advancing Green Shipping and Decarbonization:</b> <span class="citation-186 citation-end-186" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Indian delegates highlighted capacity-building programs anchored by the proposed BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Maritime Transport, sharing best practices in shore-to-ship power, alternative marine bunkering (green methanol and LNG), and zero-emission port equipment.<source-footnote ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c2901175073="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><sup _ngcontent-ng-c2901175073="" class="superscript" data-turn-source-index="6" style="line-height: 1.15 !important; font-size: 16px !important; background-color: transparent !important;"><!----></sup></source-footnote></span><sources-carousel-inline ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" _nghost-ng-c627362957="" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"> <source-inline-chip _ngcontent-ng-c627362957="" _nghost-ng-c822424761="" class="ng-star-inserted" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----></source-inline-chip><!----><!----><!----></sources-carousel-inline></p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="11,4,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="11,4,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Strengthening 'Act East' and 'Neighbourhood First' Synergies:</b> The operationalization of the AMTC serves as an economic cornerstone for India’s regional diplomacy, providing direct coastal feeders and roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) connections that offer competitive alternatives to long overland truck journeys.</p></li></ul>