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.

SAARC issues were discussed when its secretary general Md Golam Sarwar called on the state minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Monday.  

Shama Obaed recalled that the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first proposed by Bangladesh in the early ‘80s by the late president Ziaur Rahman to promote people’s welfare, improve quality of life and strengthen collective self- reliance.

Being one of the founder members and the host of the very first summit of SAARC in December 1985, Bangladesh acknowledged the valuable contributions of member states in sustaining the relevance of SAARC amid evolving regional and global dynamics.

She said that SAARC continued 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.

The state minister emphasised on strengthening SAARC’s mechanisms and revitalising its processes.

She 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.