Pokhara, March 14
The 30th intersummit session, meeting of foreign ministers from SAARC member-states, is beginning in Pokhara on Monday. The four-day meeting will take place in Hotel Grand.
The regional grouping — South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation — comprises representatives from Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Tara Prasad Pokharel, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said joint secretary-level meetings will take place on Monday and Tuesday. While on the third and the fourth day, foreign minister level meetings will take place.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will formally inaugurate Thursday’s session.
Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa, his Indian counterpart Minister Sushma Swaraj, Maldivian counterpart Dunya Maumoon, Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera, Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Bhutanese counterpart Damcho Dorji, Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hikmat Khalil Karzai and Sartaz Aziz, foreign affairs adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, are taking part in the session.
The session will discuss the status of implementation of a declaration that SAARC foreign ministers adopted earlier.
