The seventeenth anniversary of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is being observed Sunday.
Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand in his message as the incumbent chairman of the regional body said that SAARC is a clear manifestation of the determination of the peoples of South Asia to look beyond the present and work for enhanching greater understanding, trust and friendship in the
region.
“As the SAARC chairman, I am happy to note that the SAARC has continued to lay stress on the alleviation of poverty, acceleration of integrative process in the economic field and enhanced level of cooperation on the social sector,” Chand has said in his message.
Prime Minister Chand has also expressed confidence that while building upon our past achievements, we would be able to further strengthen SAARC activities with a vision and sustained efforts of all in the days to come.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka has requested India and Bhutan to endorse the date for the 12th SAARC Summit to be hosted in Pakistan. Pakistan announced two months back that the next summit had been scheduled from December 11 to 13.
A press statement issued by the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry made a request to India and Bhutan to endorse the proposed date for the 12th SAARC Summit. Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said that he would not attend the Summit until Pakistan stopped the cross border infiltration in Kashmir.