Saarc committee meets to set agenda for Kathmandu summit

Senior diplomats of all eight member countries began meeting here on Saturday to set the agenda ahead of the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit in Nepal.

Updated on: Nov 22, 2014, 21:37:39 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Senior diplomats of all eight member countries began meeting here on Saturday to set the agenda ahead of the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit in Nepal.

Joint secretaries from foreign and external affairs ministries of member states are holding a day-long programming committee meeting to discuss issues to be included in the two-day summit meeting beginning on November 26.

"There was discussion on the decision to merge 11 regional Saarc centres and reduce their number to five," said Nepal's foreign ministry spokesperson Khaga Nath Adhikari.

There were also deliberations to decide the location of the proposed disaster and environment management centre to be set up in the region.

Saturday's meeting also reviewed decisions taken by the programming committee of the 17th Saarc summit and will formulate a calendar of activities for the regional body for next year.

The Indian delegation to Saturday's meeting was led by Ajay M. Gondane, joint secretary, ministry of external affairs.

The programming committee meeting will be followed by the two-day standing committee meeting beginning Sunday where foreign secretaries of all member nations will fine tune the agenda and the Kathmandu Declaration.

Foreign and external affairs ministers would meet on November 25 before heads of states of Saarc nations take part in the summit meeting beginning November 26.

"Besides the summit meeting heads of states of member states will also be able to meet each other in an open and informal manner at the retreat organized in Dhulikhel," said Nepal's foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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