The 35th sitting of the Saarc Foreign Ministers will be held in Male, the capital of the Maldives, on Thursday with a focus on regional connectivity and enhancing trade ties among the Saarc countries.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, who will lead the Bangladesh delegation to the meeting, left here for Male on Wednesday afternoon, said an official at the Foreign Ministry.Major regional issues, including combating terrorism and drug trafficking, maritime security and piracy, energy security, poverty alleviation, agriculture and food security, climate change and environment; education and health are likely o come up for discussions at the meeting, according to the official.
Approval of new Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) secretary general from Nepal and the decision on cultural ties with China and South Korea will also be discussed.
The meeting, to be participated by Foreign Ministers of all Saarc countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is expected to review the existing guidelines relating to Saarc’s engagement with observer countries, in order to maximize the benefits gained from such engagement. – UNB
