State minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said that SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) complement each other and can function effectively side by side.

She believes that both platforms can contribute to the development of Bangladesh as well as the countries and people of the region.

The state minister made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after a seminar held at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the capital on Monday afternoon.

The seminar, titled ‘Three Decades of BIMSTEC: Advancing Regional Cooperation for Shared Prosperity’, was organised by BIISS.