Efforts underway to take forward SAARC: Secretary Paudyal

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the National Concern and Coordination Committee under the National Assembly that efforts were on to take forward the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Responding to the query raised by the Committee’s member regarding the SAARC forum at the Committee meeting here Sunday, the Foreign Secretary, Bharat Raj Paudyal apprised them that efforts were being made to advance the regional body although results were yet to be seen.

The provision that SAARC could not be advanced unless unanimous consensus was forged on any issues remaining as the basic principle while preparing the definition of the SAARC Charter had affected the advancement of the regional bodies of eight countries in the south Asia, explained Paudyal.

According to him, although Nepal was chairing the SAARC at present, it was just one among the eight member-countries. “It is normal that queries concerning SAARC are raised since there is no tangible result yet.”

Established in 1984, SAARC has Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan as its member states. Although established to promote peace and eradicate poverty in the member nations, there have been complaints that the SAARC has not been effective in recent years.