ISLAMABAD, July 9: Ambassadors of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member states in Islamabad were briefed here Friday on the preparations made for the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting being hosted by Pakistan later this month.

The two-day meeting begins in Islamabad on July 20. It will be preceded by meetings of the standing committee and the programming committee that start from July 16. Additional Secretary for Asia Division Salman Bashir gave the briefing to Saarc envoys at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The briefing was attended by Indian High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon, ambassadors of Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. The envoys were briefed about the programme and the general arrangements made for the important Saarc-related event, a foreign ministry official later said.

The Council of Ministers, comprising foreign ministers of the seven Member States, will review the overall progress on implementation of the decisions taken at the 12th Saarc Summit Conference held in Pakistan earlier this year, officials here said.

The meeting of Saarc Council of Ministers acquires special significance in the backdrop of Indo-Pakistan peace process. A highlight on the margins of the high-profile event is the expected bilateral meeting between Pakistani Foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri with his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh.

All South Asian foreign ministers are expected to arrive in Islamabad on July 19. The Council of Ministers generally meets twice a year but it can also meet in extraordinary sessions when member states consider it necessary.

The Council is responsible for formulating policies, reviewing progress, deciding new areas of cooperation, establishing additional mechanisms as deemed necessary and deciding on other matters of general interest to the Association.