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PR. No.228/2008

Date: 28/07/2008    

PRIME MINISTER'S PARTICIPATION IN 15 TH SAARC SUMMIT

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will lead the Pakistan delegation to the 15 th SAARC Summit to be held in Colombo , Sri Lanka from 2-3 August 2008. Heads of State or Governments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh , Bhutan , India , Maldives , Nepal , Pakistan and Sri Lanka will attend the Summit .

2. The Summit will be preceded by the meetings of the SAARC Council of Ministers (31 July – 1 August), Standing Committee (29-30 July) and the Programming Committee (27-28 July).

3. The SAARC Summit is expected to review the implementation of decisions taken at earlier Summits and discuss additional measures to promote regional cooperation . The occasion would also be utilized for bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit .

4. The Summit will adopt a Summit Declaration, which will reflect the key issues on the SAARC agenda. The Summit is also expected to decide on the request of Australia and Myanmar for grant of observer status with SAARC. China , Iran , Japan , Republic of Korea , Mauritius , US, and EU have already been granted observer status last year.

5. A number of SAARC documents including the Charter of SAARC Development Fund; Agreement on the establishment of SAARC Regional Standards Organization (SARSO); SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters; and The Protocol on the Accession of Afghanistan to SAFTA are expected to be signed during the Summit .

6. Over the years, SAARC has made notable progress in a number of areas including trade, finance, poverty alleviation and environment. SAFTA is progressing well. Efforts are being made to create a level playing field by eliminating all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. The SAARC Development Fund (SDF) is in its final stages of establishment. SDF will serve as an umbrella financing mechanism for longer term projects of the region. SAARC Food Bank is being established. A Regional study on multi-modal transport is also under the active consideration of the member states. 15 th SAARC Summit would provide a good opportunity for SAARC leaders to review the progress on the above-mentioned and other issues under the ambit of SAARC.

7. Pakistan attaches high importance to SAARC and its activities. Pakistan has contributed meaningfully to the establishment, institutionalization and progress of this Association. Pakistan has played a proactive role to reinvigorate SAARC both by providing substantive inputs and hosting several meetings, including Ministerial level meetings and workshops. We have hosted the 4 th (1988) and the 12 th (2004) SAARC Summits and a number of ministerial and technical level meetings.

Islamabad

28 July 2008