Press Release

SG Calls on Hon'ble Prime of Nepal

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushil Koirala, received H. E. Mr. Arjun B. Thapa, Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as part of the latter’s courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal at his office today.

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal felicitated H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC on his appointment and wished him every success in his assignment. The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister expressed Nepal’s unwavering commitment to the SAARC process, adding that SAARC is the only viable regional institution in the SAARC region that can promote the welfare of the people of South Asia through enhanced regional economic cooperation.

H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC reciprocated by felicitating the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal on his recent appointment as prime Minister of Nepal and by wishing him every success in his important responsibility. He expressed the belief that under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Nepal will prosper and the SAARC Secretariat will also receive the needed cooperation from the Government of Nepal.


H. E. the Secretary-General of SAARC apprised the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister about the recent developments in SAARC, including those decisions which were taken by the recently concluded Inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers, preceded by the preparatory sessions of the Standing Committee and the Programming Committee. In his presentation, H. E. the Secretary-General made a particular reference to the Comprehensive Study prepared by the Secretariat for strengthening SAARC’s mechanisms, including the SAARC Secretariat and Regional Centres.

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal expressed Nepal’s full support in the strengthening of the SAARC Secretariat. Citing the Comprehensive Study undertaken by the SAARC Secretariat, the Rt. Hon. expressed his happiness that preparatory work has already begun in this connection.

During the meeting, the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and H. E. the Secretary-General also discussed matters pertaining to the Eighteenth SAARC Summit to be hosted by Nepal in November 2014, which was announced by the delegation of Nepal during the recently concluded inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers.


Mr. Dhan Bahadur Oli, Director, was present at the meeting.