Bangladesh reaffirms support for revitalisation of Saarc Process: State Minister Shama
She recalled that the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first proposed by Bangladesh in the early 1980s by the late president Ziaur Rahman
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has reaffirmed Bangladesh's unwavering support for Saarc process and its commitment to working with member states to achieve the shared vision of peace, stability, and prosperity in South Asia.
She recalled that the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first proposed by Bangladesh in the early 1980s by the late president Ziaur Rahman to promote people's welfare, improve the quality of life, and strengthen collective self- reliance.
Shama made the remarks when Saarc Secretary General Md Golam Sarwar called on her at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka today (23 February).
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The state minister also said that being one of the founder members and the host of the very first Summit of Saarc in December 1985, Bangladesh acknowledges the valuable contributions of member states in sustaining the relevance of Saarc amid evolving regional and global dynamics.
She further commented that Saarc continues to foster common regional values and promote cooperation in key areas such as trade, investment, connectivity, poverty alleviation, power, climate change, food security, education, public health, culture, people-to-people contacts and so forth.
Shama emphasised on strengthening Saarc's mechanisms and revitalising its processes and reiterated Bangladesh's conviction in abiding commitment to the principles enshrined in the Saarc Charter, including sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, and mutual benefits of the peoples of member states.
