SAARC CCI delegation holds key talks on South Asia’s development at meetings in Nepal

SAARC CCI delegation led by SAARC CCI President Md. Jashim Uddin called on Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, on 8 December, Kathmandu, Nepal

The SAARC CCI 82nd Executive Committee Meeting at Yak & Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal

From left: SAARC CCI Secretary General Zulfiqar Butt, Executive Member (Pakistan) Safdar Zaman, SCWEC Chairperson Hina Mansab Khan, SAARC CCI Director Bader Munir with Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal

SCCI delegation led by SAARC CCI President Md. Jashim Uddin during the courtesy call on Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister Narayan Prakash Saud on 8 December, in Kathmandu. SAARC CCI (Bangladesh) Vice President Shafquat Haider, SAARC CCI (Nepal) Vice President Chandi Raj Dhakal, SAARC CCI Secretary General Zulfiqar Butt along with business delegates from South Asia were present during the meeting

Group picture of SAARC CCI delegation with SAARC Secretary General Md. Golam Sarwar on 8 December, in Kathmandu, Nepal

Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal recently emphasised “SAARC has enormous potential to alter our region’s development landscape,” during a call-on by SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry delegation led by President Md. Jashim Uddin in Kathmandu, Nepal.

During the two-day visit, the delegation also met Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister Narayan Prakash Saud, and SAARC Secretary General Md. Golam Sarwar followed by the celebrations of the 39th SAARC Charter Day and the 82nd Executive Committee Meeting of SAARC CCI.

The meeting with Nepal Prime Minister Dahal focused on the revitalisation of the SAARC mechanism and the importance of strengthening regional cooperation despite the great difficulties and emerging challenges.

He stated that to ensure South Asia’s progress towards development goals, all member states in SAARC should explore and work on the potentials and emerging opportunities. The Prime Minister emphasised that as Nepal is the Chair of SAARC, the intervention of Nepal together with all SAARC member states would be significant in the revival of SAARC for the betterment of people in the region.

SAARC CCI (Nepal) Vice President Chandi Raj Dhakal and Vice President (Bangladesh) Shafquat Haider were part of the delegation from their respective countries.

During the meeting with the Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister Narayan Prakash Saud, he underscored the importance of effective multilateral cooperation among SAARC states. SAARC CCI President Md. Jashim Uddin highlighted the significance of governments’ support for the South Asian business community in achieving economic goals of the region.

Adding to the discourse, SCCI (Nepal) Vice President Dhakal and SAARC CCI (Bangladesh) Vice President Haider provided valuable insights into the pivotal role of South Asian states in advancing the vision of SAARC. MWCC President Mariyam Shakeela emphasised the need for collective efforts to achieve regional prosperity, urging the fostering of public-private partnerships.

SAARC CCI Secretary General Zulfiqar Butt stressed the need to explore the untapped potentials in regional development, connectivity, and economic collaboration, highlighting SAARC CCI’s relentless commitment to the revival of SAARC.

On the occasion of 39th SAARC Charter Day, SAARC CCI President Uddin and his delegation called on SAARC Secretary General Md. Golam Sarwar focusing on strengthening socioeconomic cooperation and economic integration in South Asia. President Uddin emphasised South Asia’s potential to become a robust economic bloc and urged a revival of cooperation among all South Asian nations.

Sarwar said: “The SAARC Secretariat is fully committed to supporting the socioeconomic initiatives that will contribute to the collective achievement of sustainable development goals in South Asia.”

He further added that the SAARC Secretariat would expedite the process of taking necessary measures to organise the SAARC Committee Meetings, Ministerial Level Meetings, and the SAARC Summit in coordination with all SAARC member states.

The delegation also participated in a cake-cutting ceremony commemorating the 39th SAARC Charter Day, symbolising the shared commitment to the development goals of the SAARC region.

In line with the meeting, the 82nd Executive Committee Meeting of SAARC CCI took place at the Yak and Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu, hosted by FNCCI. The meeting was attended by Executive Committee (EC) members and General Assembly (GA) members from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The members of SAARC Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also took part in the meeting.  

During the meeting, the EC and GA members reviewed the previous year’s activities, discussed upcoming events and initiatives in 2024, addressed the recognition matter of SAARC apex and allied bodies, approved the nominations for the SAARC CCI Councils and Committees, reviewed the annual plan and budget, approved audited accounts, and provided updates on the SAARC CCI headquarters building project and life memberships. SAARC CCI Headquarters Building Committee Vice Chair and the EC Member SAARC CCI (Pakistan) Zubair Ahmad Malik stressed on financial aspects involved in completing the headquarters project. 

The delegation from Pakistan consisted of SCWEC Chairperson Hina Mansab Khan, SAARC CCI Executive Member (Pakistan) Safdar Zaman, and Secretary General Zulfiqar Butt and Director Bader Munir. Similarly the delegates from South Asia who attended the meetings were SCCI (Bangladesh) Vice President Shafquat Haider, FNCCI Executive Committee Member Desh Bandhu Basnet (Ajit), SCCI (Nepal) Executive Committee Member Jyotsna Shrestha, WCCI Maldives President Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, SCWEC (Maldives) Vice Chairperson Shaira Saleem, SCCI (Sri Lanka) Executive Committee Member Bandula Egodage, General Assembly Member Wansapriyya Gunaseela, and SCCI Associate Director Tilan Wijesooriya.

In conclusion, the two-day program in Nepal undertaken by the SCCI delegation from South Asian countries reflected a steadfast commitment for regional cooperation and socioeconomic growth while highlighting the pivotal role of SAARC CCI in achieving common goals of South Asia.