Quickfacts: Six important international groups (India's perspective)

We keep listening names of various international groups in the news. Basic background is given below about them-

BRICS   

              

Full name:  Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (five major emerging    national economies)

Established:  The BRICS Forum was formed in 2011

Members:    Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

First meet:    (i) Yekaterinburg (Russia), commenced in June 2009 (BRIC, without South Africa)

(ii) Sanya, China  April 2011 (BRICS)

       

Schedule of meeting: Annual

Agenda: Encouraging commercial, political and cultural cooperation between the BRICS nations

BIMSTEC

Full name:  Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation

                

Established: 22 December 1997

                

Headquarters:  Dhaka, Bangladesh

                

Members:   Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal

                

First meet: 31 July 2004

                

Agenda: Fourteen priority sectors cover all areas of cooperation -

    Trade and Investment, led by Bangladesh

    Transport and Communication, led by India

    Energy, led by Myanmar

    Tourism, led by India

    Technology, led by Sri Lanka

    Fisheries, led by Thailand

    Agriculture, led by Myanmar

    Public Health, led by Thailand

    Poverty Alleviation, led by Nepal

    Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, led by India

    Environment and Natural Disaster Management, led by India

    Culture, led by Bhutan

    People to People contact, led by Thailand

    Climate change, led by Bangladesh

After the 8th Ministerial Meeting in Dhaka on 18–19 December 2005, number of priority sectors of cooperation increased from 6 to 14.

SAARC

Full name: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Established: Dhaka, 1985

Secretariat:  Kathmandu, Nepal

Members:  Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

First meet: Dhaka on 7–8 December 1985

               

Schedule of meeting: One or two years

                

Agenda:  Development of economic and regional integration

G20

Full name:   Group of Twenty

Founded: 1999

               

Members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States—along with the European Union (EU)

                

Inaugural leaders' summit: 2008

                

Schedule of meeting: Annual

                

Agenda:   Studying, reviewing, and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability

NSG

Full name:  Nuclear Suppliers Group

Established: 1974, as a response to India's nuclear tests

   

Members:  48, click here for the list

First meet: November 1975

                 

Agenda:  Group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons

ASEAN 

Full name:  Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Established:   8 August 1967

 

Headquaters: Jakarta

               

Members:   Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam 

Agenda:  Promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic integration amongst its members alongside the protection of regional stability and the provision of a mechanism for member countries to resolve differences peacefully

Out of these groups, India is not part of NSG and ASEAN. India is trying hard to be the part of NSG, whereas it continues having friendly treaties and agreements with ASEAN countries.

(Source: Wikipedia, Google images)