Maldives to host 17th SAARC Summit on 10-11 Nov.

The Maldives will host the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit on 10-11 November, for the first time the regional group’s summit will be held in the southern hemisphere even though all but one of its member states are located in the northern hemisphere.

According to Sunday’s The Kathmandu Post, citing the economic slowdown, the Maldives had earlier skipped hosting the 16th SAARC Summit. Later, Bhutan did the honours.

In a recent radio address to the people, Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed said the government has decided to hold the 17th SAARC summit in the South Province. A special team, he said, would coordinate and oversee the necessary preparations. He added that the 17th SAARC summit hosting would be a “great honour” for the Maldives.

For the first time in its 25-year-old history, SAARC is set to get its woman secretary-general from the Maldives.

The Maldives has circulated the name of former Attorney General Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, 36, as secretary-general for approval by fellow member states.

“A meeting of the Council of Ministers to be held in Bhutan on 25 January will endorse her name. She will take up her assignment from 1 March,” a SAARC director said.

The three-year term of the incumbent secretary-general from India, Sheel Kant Sharma, ends by the end of February 2011. SAARC picks its secretary-general on a rotation basis according to the alphabetical order of names of the member states. After the Maldives, it will be Nepal’s turn to name a secretary general for the top job.

Founded in 1985, SAARC includes Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.