31 December 2004	Friday	18 Ziqa'ad 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: The 13th Saarc summit, which was to be held in Bangladesh from Jan 9 to 11, has been postponed in view of the devastation caused by tsunami in a number of South Asian countries.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in his capacity as chairman of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation announced here on Thursday the unanimous decision of the member states to postpone the summit, a Foreign Office press release said.

"In consultation with the government of Bangladesh and all Saarc member states, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, in his capacity as chairman Saarc has announced the unanimous decision of Saarc member states to postpone the 13th Saarc summit which was scheduled to be held in Dhaka from 9 to 11 January, 2005," said the press release.

The Foreign Office said the postponement was warranted in the wake of the enormous destruction caused by the recent tsunami which had traumatized the peoples of the region and obliged the concerned governments to devote undivided attention to relief and reconstruction efforts.

Bangladesh would propose new dates for the summit, said the FO, adding the dates would be finalized after mutual consultations among the member states.