DHAKA, Aug 25: The government of Khaleda Zia is going ahead with its preparations to hold the twice postponed 13th Saarc summit scheduled for November 12 and 13, brushing aside that the recent serial blasts in Bangladesh may delay holding of the summit.
“We don’t see any reasons for not holding the Saarc summit…The preparations are going on in full swing,” Bangladesh’s foreign secretary, Hemayetuddin, told the press on Thursday.
He said that all-out preparations are going on to make the Dhaka summit a success and to ensure the safety and comfort of the heads of governments, their entourage and the various other delegations.
“Foolproof security will be ensured in Dhaka before the Saarc leaders start arriving here to attend the much delayed summit of the seven-nation forum of South Asia.”
The Saarc programming committee will hold its meeting on November 8, the standing committee of Saarc foreign secretaries on November 9-10.
The summit was originally scheduled to be held in Dhaka on January 9-11 this year, but it was postponed because of the devastating impact of the December 26, 2004 Asian tsunami that hit hard three member states.
Meanwhile, the finance and commerce ministers of Saarc countries will hold separate meetings in October to devise common strategies on economic and trade issues, and development needs of the region, says a highly placed source.
The finance ministers are likely to make concrete policy decisions and decide on the next course of action towards the establishment of the South Asian development fund, South Asian development bank, Saarc poverty alleviation fund and Saarc infrastructure fund, sources in the foreign ministry said.
