KATHMANDU, March 19: Lawmakers have emphasized that both the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are crucial for the development of the region. In Monday's House of Representatives meeting, they suggested that neither organization should overshadow the other.

During the discussion on the BIMSTEC charter, parliamentarians expressed the opinion that development could be accelerated by advancing both BIMSTEC and SAARC simultaneously.

CPN-UML Secretary and MP Yogesh Bhattarai stated that BIMSTEC should not be viewed solely as an alternative to SAARC. He advocated a swift convening of the SAARC conference, emphasizing Nepal's need to enhance its international influence through BIMSTEC. However, he maintained that BIMSTEC should not progress at the expense of SAARC.

UML leader Raghuji Pant also supported the promotion of both BIMSTEC and SAARC. Highlighting Pakistan's membership in SAARC but not in BIMSTEC, he emphasized the importance of including SAARC in the regional cooperation framework, especially with Pakistan as a member.

Chitra Bahadur KC, chairman of the Rastriya Janamorcha Party, argued against allowing the SAARC movement to be overshadowed, advocating for SAARC to be prioritized over BIMSTEC. Pradeep Paudel from the Nepali Congress voiced concerns that Nepal has not significantly benefited from BIMSTEC or other similar organizations.