POKHARA, March 17: The 37th foreign ministerial meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries concluded in Pokhara on Thursday with the declaration to convene the 19th Summit in Pakistan on November 9 and 10.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the Thursday's meeting, the last of the four-day-long foreign ministerial meetings of SAARC members. A one day secretary-level meeting was held on Wednesday, and a two-day joint-secretary level meetings on Monday and Tuesday.Expressing concerns over the frequent cancellations of past SAARC Summits, the foreign ministers decided to convene the SAARC meetings in the month of November from now onward, Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa informed.
"The upcoming SAARC summit will endorse the decision on holding the event in November at an interval of two years. The upcoming SAARC meet has been scheduled for November 9 and 10," he said.
According to Foreign Minister Thapa, SAARC foreign ministers discussed establishing a regional environment and disaster management center. At different past formal and informal meetings, officials have discussed the possibility of establishing SAARC Disaster Management Center in New Delhi, India.
"However, the final decision will be presented in the upcoming SAARC Summit," he told media.
As the tenure of current SAARC General Secretary Arjun Bahadur Thapa is coming to an end, Pakistan has put forward a name for the post. A decision on the matter will also be taken during the next SAARC Summit, Thapa added.
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