Kathmandu, June 19
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav has stressed on the early convening of the 19th SAARC Summit.
The Minister said this during a meeting with Secretary General of SAARC, Mr. Amjad Hussian B. Sial on Monday. The secretary-general had called on Minister Yadav at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, the Secretary General felicitated the Minister on his assumption of the Office and expressed good wishes for success in his important assignment, the SAARC Secretariat stated in a press release.
While reiterating Nepal’s commitment to the SAARC process, the Minister underscored the need for early convening of the Nineteenth SAARC Summit. He further stated that Prime Minister of Nepal, as the current Chair of SAARC, has been in consultation with other Member States to create a conducive environment for early convening of the Summit.
Minister underscored the need for enhanced intra-regional trade and economic cooperation for the promotion of the welfare of the peoples and socio-economic development in the region. Referring to the low level of intra-regional trade and economic cooperation, the Minister stated that the meetings of the SAFTA Ministerial Council, SAFTA Committee of Experts and Committee on Economic Cooperation should be convened early to facilitate trade and economic cooperation in the region.
The Secretary General expressed appreciation to the Government of Nepal for its unflinching commitment to the SAARC process and endeavours being made by the Prime Minister of Nepal for early convening of the Nineteenth SAARC Summit. He briefed the Minister about the status of cooperation in trade and economic areas under the auspices of SAARC.
Underscoring the importance of regular convening of SAARC meetings to sustain the momentum of the SAARC process, the Secretary General underlined the need for early convening of the meetings of the SAFTA Ministerial Council, SAFTA Committee of Experts and Committee on Economic Cooperation at the earliest.
He emphasized the need for enhanced level of economic cooperation and trade within the SAARC region to promote socio-economic development, which is essential for well-being of the peoples of South Asia, which, he added, is one of the cardinal objectives of SAARC. He also underlined the importance of enhanced connectivity and facilitation of visa in order to promote economic relations, people-to-people contacts and tourism in the region. He also thanked the Government of Nepal for its valuable support to the Secretariat.
