SAARC countries are facing common challenges and they should cooperate with each other to address them, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday, underlining that India is committed to reviving the grouping as a major forum to promote active regional collaboration.
Government sources in New Delhi said the neighbouring country's attempt to 'politicise' a humanitarian issue by its 'unwarranted' statement on Kashmir during the video-conference reflected 'very poorly' on it.
India has been reluctant to participate in view of Pakistan's refusal to put an end to crossborder terrorism.
SAARC summit in Islamabad in jeopardy. A SAARC summit can only take place when leaders of all member countries are present, notes Rajeev Sharma.
Pakistan's Chief Justice, Justice Iftakar held a meeting on Tuesday to review the preparations. Before the SAARC event, a three-day National Judicial Conference would be held in Islamabad from Friday.
Editors of the regional grouping met to discuss issues relating to the region.
Seven months after cancelling talks, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Indian chartered accountants may be seen practising in Pakistan as well as other SAARC countries and vice-versa in two to three years.A proposal to give mutual recognition to CAs in one another's nation was mooted by South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), a body of SAARC.
Home Ministers from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation nations discussed ways to strengthen police cooperation and other means to combat terrorism that has afflicted the region. The SAARC Interior Ministers' conference, attended by Home Minister P Chidambaram, also discussed proposals like maritime security and anti-piracy operations under the SAARC charter.
Addressing the SAARC Standing Committee meeting in Thimphu, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said that SAARC has evolved into a service provider for the economic and development needs of the people of the region.
India on Thursday sought strengthening of SAARC monitoring desks on terrorism and drugs, underlining that illicit funds generated from narcotics and fake currency networks are being fed into supporting terror activities
From traditional Nepali thali to Gujarati basundi with jalebi, it was a lavish vegetarian spread of cuisines laid out for the SAARC leaders as they met in the cooler climes of exotic Dhulikhel resort for a retreat session.
In a phased and planned manner the countries will go for Free Trade Areas, a Customs Union, a Common Market, and a Common Economic and Monetary Union.
Nepal said it would take necessary initiatives and hold discussions with member-states to press for holding the 19th SAARC Summit.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for the proposed SAARC Limited Multilateral Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in tax matters.
She also said the Kartarpur corridor initiative was not linked to the dialogue process with Pakistan.
Pakistan has been favouring China's inclusion in SAARC but the regional grouping's charter specifies that any new\n\nmember can be included when there is consensus among all member-countries.
Islamabad is awaiting India's response to its suggestion that the twice-postponed regional summit be held mid-April.
Indian journalists, who went to cover the SAARC Home Ministers' conference in Islamabad, had to face hostile Pakistani officials.
India said it firmly believes that a peaceful and secure neighbourhood will yield "rich dividends" for SAARC nations.
India and other Saarc countries have decided to work towards creation of a South Asian Economic Union and establishment of a regional food bank.
Both sides will discuss the ongoing incidents of ceasefire violations at the border, the resolution of which will be given topmost priority
Taking forward its efforts to track and unearth black money, India has now ratified its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements with SAARC nations and the revised treaties will come into effect from next fiscal.
'We operate in 16 countries already, and therefore adding the UK to it, and beginning a chapter in the European continent is the next step.'
'Victims of terrorism do not sit together with its perpetrators to discuss terrorism.'
The SAARC has not lived up to its potential, the White House said.
A multi-layer security arrangement involving five companies of paramilitary personnel, NSG commandoes and snipers have already been deployed around the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Drone cameras have also been put into service.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held bilateral talks with all Heads of Government and State attending the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif the only conspicuous exemption.
Foundation of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Writers and Literature have nominated Pakistani journalist and columnist of rediff.com Hamid Mir for the SAARC Lifetime Achievement Award 2010. Mir works for Geo TV in Islamabad.
Holding Pakistan responsible for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation's 'underperformance', India has said the bloc was nowhere near achieving its potential.
Raising the Kashmir issue at the SAARC meeting, Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday alleged that the violence being committed in Kashmir is "open terrorism".
Pakistan on Sunday sought the support of SAARC countries in fighting the menace of illegal drugs, that were being used as a "weapon of war", as parliamentary delegations from India and other members gathered for a meeting of the regional grouping.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation on Wednesday decided to associate Iran as an observer making it the sixth nation of the grouping to have that status.
"You can change friends but not neighbours," Atal Bihari Vajpayee famously said this 15 years ago.
Swarup also asserted that there was "full coordination" between home ministry and the ministry of external affairs on Rajnath's Islamabad visit.
Aziz lamented the fact that south Asia lagged behind its neighbourhood.
In reality SAARC is largely a name board with annual rituals, not always regularly observed.
Regretting that over 90 per cent of requirements of South Asian countries were still sourced from outside the region, India on Monday asked SAARC nations to build a strong framework of regional economic cooperation, which should be "workable" and "pr
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