The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries have agreed in principle to grant the US and South Korea the status of observers in the regional grouping.
“The standing committee responded positively to the request by the United States and Korea seeking observer status in SAARC,” report quoted an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) as saying.
The fifth special session of the SAARC standing committee comprising foreign secretaries of member-states also finalised details of Afghanistan joining SAARC and also the four-point guidelines for observer status to China and Japan.
The SAARC council of ministers, which is expected to meet in Dhaka — the capital of Bangladesh — in July, would approve the draft of a joint declaration to be signed by Afghanistan to become a full member of the regional body and also the guidelines for observer status. The declaration will be signed at the Delhi summit.
Afghanistan will join the next SAARC summit in India’s capital New Delhi in 2007 as a full member and China and Japan as observers.
As per the provision of SAARC, an observer country will be able to attend the opening and closing session of the SAARC summit as well as the Council of Ministers’ meeting and other ministerial meetings.
The 13th SAARC summit held in Dhaka last November agreed to grant full membership to Afghanistan and observer status to China and Japan.
The standing committee also approved the draft of SAARC Vision (2005-2015) after certain amendments.
SAARC, which was formed in 1985, initially consisted of seven member-countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. nepalnews.com pb Apr 14 06