BIMSTEC Secretary-General Indra Mani Pandey has said that there is no conflict between SAARC and BIMSTEC, as a country can work in multiple regional forums simultaneously.

He made the remark on Tuesday (Feb 11) during an exchange of views with members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the BIMSTEC Secretariat.

In response to a question, the Secretary-General said that both SAARC and BIMSTEC are regional organizations, and several countries are members of both. Some are also part of ASEAN, which does not create any issues.

He further informed that the BIMSTEC Summit will take place in Thailand on April 4, where top leaders from member countries have agreed to participate. However, any sideline meetings among leaders will be arranged through mutual discussions between the respective countries.

Regarding Bangladesh’s role, he said that as a founding member, Bangladesh is actively working to strengthen BIMSTEC. He also noted that the current interim government is providing proper support to the organization and added that BIMSTEC respects Bangladesh’s political transition.

DCAB President AKM Moinuddin, General Secretary Arifuzzaman Mamun, and other members were present at the event.

BDST: 1641 HRS, FEB 11, 2025
MSK/SMS