KATHMANDU, APR 18 -
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will meet South Asian leaders, including his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, on the sidelines of the 16th SAARC Summit that begins in Thimphu on April 28.

The prime minister, according to officials, will brief his Indian counterpart on the latest political scenario in Nepal. He will get to meet Pakistani and Maldivian presidents in Kathmandu itself.

“Thimphu-bound presidents of Pakistan and the Maldives will spend a night in Kathmandu. During their stay, the two leaders will call on Prime Minister Nepal and, most likely, President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav,” the officials said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala, who is planning to leave for the Bhutanese capital on April 26, will also meet her counterparts.

Though the names to be included in the delegation are yet to be finalised, the team, as the officials put it, will not exceed 30.

The summit themed “Towards a Green and Happy South Asia” will see Nepal push the agenda of saving the Himalayas, a source of livelihood for millions in the region, even as Rajan Bhattrai, Foreign Affairs adviser to the PM, said the officials were yet to work out the agendas.

The regional jamboree is expected to strike three pacts, namely SAARC agreement on trade in service, pact on disaster management rapid response mechanism and convention on cooperation on environment. Other highlights include discussions on increased cooperation on poverty reduction, connectivity and sharing of water resources. The meet will also see the inauguration of the permanent secretariat of $300-million SAARC Development Fund.

 

Posted on: 2010-04-19 07:56

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