Goa, October 16
Nepal and Sri Lanka have agreed to take initiatives for holding the 19th SAARC Summit, shelved due to hostilities between India and Pakistan, as early as possible.
The two sides reached this understanding during a meeting at a Goa hotel between Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday.
Nepal, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the SAARC, faces the challenge of ensuring that the SAARC summit, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan, takes place early on.
During the meeting held on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Goa, Nepal PM Prachanda stressed the need to hold the summit as early as possible, adding that SAARC member-states should have a common stance on the issue.
President Sirisena said Nepal and Sri Lanka should take joint initiatives for the summit, PM Prachanda’s Secretariat informed.
