History seems to be repeating itself in South Asia as the region’s smaller nations once again demand the revitalization of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Delivering a speech during the Maldives’ Independence Day celebrations on July 26, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu urged SAARC members to return to the negotiating table, resume summits and set aside their differences for the sake of regional peace and cooperation. He added the Maldives was ready to help initiate discussions and mediate among member states.
This is not the first time Muizzu has called for SAARC’s revival. He made a similar call at the 40th Charter Day in December 2025.
Coincidentally, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman attended the Maldivian Independence Day ceremony as a special guest. In February, Rahman told SAARC Secretary-General Golam Sarwar that Bangladesh is committed to the organization and was ready to support its revitalization. Rahman said trade, connectivity, poverty reduction, energy, climate change, food security, education and health are areas that require regional cooperation. In April, Rahman said SAARC’s revival is an important foreign-policy objective of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government. It was former Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman, the current prime minister’s father, who first formally proposed the establishment of SAARC.
