Foreign secretaries from the seven South Asian countries Thursday concluded talks on formulating an agenda for the upcoming SAARC Summit, including an additional protocol on combating terrorism, AFP reported from Islamabad Thursday.

Pakistani foreign secretary Riaz Khokhar who chaired the two-day deliberations told reporters the text of the anti-terrorism protocol was cleared for consideration and approval by the council of ministers of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), the agency said.

The foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are meeting on Friday and Saturday to finalise documents for the 12th SAARC Summit to be held January 4-6 in Islamabad, the agency said.

“We are very mindful of all our obligations for combating terrorism it all its forms and manifestations,” the agency quoted Khokhar, as saying.

The protocol, which specifically deals with preventing the flow of funds into the hands of terrorist groups and individuals, is aimed at strengthening and updating the existing SAARC convention on suppression of terrorism signed by the member states in 1987, the agency said.