Pakistan PM Imran Khan hopes to host SAARC summit
Highlight
- Pakistan will host the much-delayed SAARC summit when the artificial barrier in its path is removed: PM
- Imran Khan made this remark during a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Esala Ruwan Veerakoon
- Khan reiterates Pakistan’s commitment to mutually beneficial goals, objectives enshrined in SAARC Charter
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday expressed hope that his country will host the SAARC summit when the “artificial barrier” in its path is removed.
According to the Foreign Office, Khan made the remarks during his meeting with Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, who paid a courtesy call on the prime minister here.
The Foreign Office quoted him as saying, the prime minister “looked forward to hosting the SAARC summit in Pakistan when the artificial barrier created in its path is removed.”
SAARC – a regional grouping of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – has not been very effective since 2016 as it has not had a biennial summit since the last one in Kathmandu in 2014.
The 2016 SAARC Summit was originally planned to be held in Islamabad on 15–19 November 2016. But after a terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir on 18 September that year, India expressed its inability to participate. Summit due to “existing conditions”.
The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also refused to participate in the Islamabad meeting.
During his meeting with Virakoon, Khan reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the mutually beneficial goals and objectives enshrined in the SAARC Charter.
He also underlined that SAARC can provide a conducive and beneficial environment for forging economic synergies that can transform the quality of life of the people of South Asia.
The FO said, Prime Minister Khan “emphasized the strengthening of cooperation on issues of common interest, including climate change, education, poverty alleviation, energy integration and health challenges.”
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the SAARC Secretary-General in further improving and promoting SAARC processes and assured him of Pakistan’s continued support in further strengthening regional cooperation within the ambit of SAARC.
The Secretary-General thanked the Prime Minister for his guidance on issues relating to SAARC and assured him that during his tenure he was determined to strengthen cooperation between Member States in various fields for the benefit of all countries of the South Asian region. Will try
Khan also strongly condemned the lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot earlier this month and said there was no justification for such acts.
He said that all necessary steps have been taken to bring the criminals to justice at the earliest.
Sri Lankan diplomat Veerakoon took over as the Secretary General of SAARC in March last year.
Veerakoon, who is on his first visit to Pakistan since assuming office, met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi earlier this week, who reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the people of the region, economic integration and the principles and objectives of the SAARC Charter. Of. regional prosperity.
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