New Delhi (Sputnik) — Nepal will host senior officials from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in the capital Kathmandu to discuss a new date for the 19th Summit of the regional organization that was deferred last year after India and four other member states pulled out of it accusing Pakistan of spreading terrorism.
The meeting on1-2 February to attend the Programming Committee will be the first gathering of SAARC members since the postponement of the 19th summit that was scheduled to take place in Islamabad on 9-10 November last year.
During the meeting, the member states will discuss a number of issues, including the budget of the SAARC Secretariat and five regional canters of SAARC. The matter relating to rescheduling the next SAARC summit will also come up during the meeting, to be attended by joint secretaries of the SAARC countries, said sources in the foreign ministry. The meeting will be attended by officials from India and Pakistan, confirmed sources, which is a positive sign.
The decisions made by the programming committee will be forwarded to the Standing Committee for endorsement.
Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister's advisor on foreign policy Sartaj Aziz said his country remains committed to hosting the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad so that the objectives of regional cooperation under the SAARC umbrella can be pursued more vigorously.
SAARC was founded in 1985 in South Asia. Its members include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
