SAARC pre-summit meetings kicks off

The preliminary meetings of the 17th SAARC Summit kicked off in Addu City of the Maldives yesterday.

The working committee meeting, in which SAARC division chiefs at the foreign ministries of all eight-member states take part, prepares the agenda to be approved by the SAARC Council of Ministers and the summit.  Four-tier meetings — ranging from joint-secretary level to head of the state or government levels — will be held in course of the summit.

The SAARC Standing Committee meeting, where foreign secretaries of the member-states take part, will commence tomorrow, while the Council of Ministers will meet tomorrow.

Heads of state or government will participate in the summit to be held on 10 and 11 November. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is to set out for the summit tomorrow, leading an 11-member delegation.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs said PM Bhattarai will discuss issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation with leaders of other countries and President of the Maldives. Prime Ministers of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the presidents of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are taking part in the summit.