At UNGA, Bangladesh interim chief Muhammad Yunus calls for revival of SAARC

New York: Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Friday called for the revival of the SAARC grouping, stressing regional cooperation based on mutual respect, transparency, and shared prosperity.

In his address to the General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Yunus said that there is no alternative to regional cooperation among neighbours except for shared development.

He said that SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) achieved notable progress in its early years and laid a strong foundation for regional cooperation.

Yunus added that despite political deadlock, the grouping's institutional structure remains intact, Bangladesh's state-run BSS news agency reported.

The South Asian regional grouping comprises India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Its biennial summits have not taken place since the last one in Kathmandu in 2014.

"We believe SAARC still holds the potential to deliver welfare to the hundreds of millions in our region, just as ASEAN has done on its own," Yunus was quoted as saying.

Bangladesh is advancing regional connectivity and trade through initiatives such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal initiative, the Asian Highway, and the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation, he said.