SAARC Summit to issue 31-pt declaration‚ 3 other deals

KATHMANDU: Three separate agreements are to be signed in the upcoming 18th SAARC Summit with an aim to make mutual cooperation among the member countries stronger.

Motor Vehicle Agreement, Railway Agreement and Agreement on Energy Sector are going to be signed for improving land connectivity as well as guaranteeing increased access to economic activities among the SAARC countries.

The agreements will be signed by the Ministers for Foreign/External Affairs of all the eight member countries in presence of the Heads of State and of Government of SAARC Countries.

In course of familiarising the International Affairs and Labour Committee under the Legislature-Parliament about the preparations of the upcoming SAARC Summit, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said a 31-point Kathmandu Declaration would be issued.

The SAARC Summit host Nepal has already submitted the draft of the declaration and agreements to member countries.

The issues of land connectivity, climate change, poverty alleviation, sharing of energy in the SAARC region, and promotion of tourism and trade will be extensively discussed during the summit and Kathmandu Declaration would incorporate the issues.

Nepal would give special stress for the implementation of the previous agreement and issues mentioned in the declaration in letter and spirit while preparation is underway to merge SAARC-level regional organisations, Pandey said.

SOurce: THT