NEW DELHI, Oct. 14 -- The first meeting of Home Ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded in New Delhi on Tuesday with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, committing member countries to strengthen regional cooperation against terrorism and transnational crime.

The declaration was adopted at the inaugural meeting involving Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It reaffirmed the members' commitment to building a connected, secure, resilient and prosperous region through cooperation in the security sector.

The ministers strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all forms, including cross-border terrorism, and called for a c...