President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to strengthening the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), as the organisation’s Secretary-General Golam Sarwar paid a farewell call on the President.
The meeting was held at the President’s Office on Monday morning as Sarwar prepares to conclude his tenure as Secretary-General of the regional organisation.
During the meeting, President Muizzu thanked Sarwar for his service and cooperation throughout his tenure, while commending his leadership and efforts to advance SAARC’s work.
The President also highlighted the importance of SAARC as a platform for regional cooperation, stressing the role the organisation continues to play in bringing South Asian nations together on issues of shared interest.
Sarwar, in turn, thanked the Maldives for the support extended to him during his tenure.
He highlighted the Maldives’ position as one of SAARC’s founding members and described the country as an important member of the organisation. Sarwar also thanked President Muizzu for his efforts to revitalise SAARC and advance its initiatives.
Discussions during the farewell call covered ongoing SAARC activities, opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation and potential areas for future collaboration among member states.
President Muizzu expressed his desire to further strengthen relations between SAARC countries and wished Sarwar success in his future endeavours.
The Maldives has been a member of SAARC since the organisation’s establishment in 1985. It was among the seven founding countries that signed the SAARC Charter in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on December 8 that year.
SAARC was established to promote economic and social development through greater regional cooperation in South Asia. Its membership later expanded to eight countries with Afghanistan joining the organisation in 2007.
The organisation brings together Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
While SAARC continues to operate through its secretariat and various regional mechanisms, its highest-level political process has remained stalled for several years. The last SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2014, while the 19th Summit, which had been scheduled to take place in Islamabad in 2016, was postponed.
The Maldives has continued to voice support for strengthening regional cooperation through SAARC, with President Muizzu’s latest remarks reiterating the government’s commitment to the organisation as Sarwar concludes his tenure.
