Speakers at a high-level ministerial panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey on Saturday paid tribute to the late President Ziaur Rahman for his foundational role in establishing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The panel, which focused on the enduring necessity of regional cooperation, featured Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Afghanistan’s Transport Minister Alhaj Hamidullah Akhundzada (Azizi).

During the session, the speakers highlighted Ziaur Rahman’s seminal vision and initiative, noting that the framework he proposed remains a vital platform for dialogue in South Asia.

Addressing the forum, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman emphasized that reviving the regional body is a primary foreign policy objective of the current government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The leaders collectively observed that South Asia possesses immense untapped potential.

They stressed that consistent diplomacy and sustained dialogue are the only viable paths to dismantling long-standing barriers and achieving meaningful regional integration for the benefit of the people in the region.