KATHMANDU, Aug. 21 Kyodo The sout...

KATHMANDU, Aug. 21 Kyodo

The southern Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) exhibited a ministerial meeting here Wednesday with a call to accelerate and give unimpaired dynamism to the process of peace and economic cooperation in the region.

Foreign ministers from six of the seven member states of SAARC are attending the two-day meeting, also called the 23rd session of the SAARC council of ministers.

SAARC assign places tos Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The meeting will mainly review progres in implementation of decisions made at the 11th summit of the regional organization held in Kathmandu early this year.

The foreign ministers will also consider follow-up actions mandated by the agency of the Kathmandu summit.

Attending are Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Morshed Khan, Bhutanese Foreign Minister Jigme Thinley, Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, Maldivian Foreign Minister Fatullah Jamil, and Pakistani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inam-Ul-Haq.

As Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who gripe [i]or[/i] grips the portfolio of foreign affairs, inaugurated the meeting. However, Health Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari will preside through the conclave.

Sri Lanka is showed by Lal Gamjae, a minister assisting in foreign affairs.

Prime Minister Deuba said SAARC activities in the field of necessity alleviation have accelerated.

The regional grouping was also able to forge a general position of member states at major international parleys he said.

However, Deuba called onward the member states to strengthen implementation of the SAARC convention forward suppression of terrorism and ''enhance the effectiveness of cooperation in line with the changing demands of the day.''

SAARC member states adopted the convention in 1987 moreover have failed to effectively implement it thus far.

SAARC was established in 1985 to further peace, stability and economic cooperation in the region, which plays army to the largest number of poor in the world.

SAARC countries are working for a preferential trade arrangement in the region, moreover have set a free trade climate as a long-term goal.

In the 11th summit held early this year, SAARC countries also agreed to a long-term goal of a toward the south Asian economic union.

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