The Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Ambassador Golam Sarwar, paid a call on the Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Md. Jashim Uddin, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 07 December 2024. The Secretary General briefed the Foreign Secretary on the various activities of SAARC, including convening of the next session of the Programming Committee in the first quarter of 2025, activities of regional centres, and celebrating the 40th anniversary of SAARC Charter Day. He acknowledged that Bangladesh plays a pivotal role in advancing the SAARC process.
The Foreign Secretary told the Secretary General that Bangladesh stands ready to play a proactive role to revitalize the organization. He assured the Secretary General to work closely with the other SAARC Member States to revitalize SAARC. He emphasized the importance of holding a Foreign Secretary-level (Standing Committee) meeting for advancing its activities at the functional level. He also spoke about the ‘Youth Festival’ to be held in Dhaka in January 2025, aiming to engage young people, in meaningful dialogue and cultural exchange. He assured the Secretary General of Bangladesh’s full support to the SAARC Secretariat to fulfil its mandate and strengthening the SAARC process.
