H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, paid a farewell call on H. E. Mr. Shanker Das Bairagi, Foreign Secretary of Nepal.  

At the start of the meeting, the Secretary-General thanked the Foreign Secretary for finding time to receive him. The Secretary-General also congratulated the Foreign Secretary on his new and important assignment.

In his briefing, the Secretary-General acknowledged that the establishment of the Association has largely contributed to the maintenance of peace in the region, besides opening up ample vistas for effective regional cooperation. He stated that there is much that SAARC could achieve for the common good of the people in the region. He further said that in order to make SAARC a robust organization, the SAARC Secretariat has recently conducted a comprehensive Study to strengthen its mechanisms, including the Secretariat, Regional Centres and Specialized Bodies of SAARC.

In his remarks, the Foreign Secretary emphasized upon the need to develop and implement sub-regional and regional projects that bring about tangible benefits for the people of South Asia. He laid emphasis on strengthening people-to-people contacts through people-centric programs and projects.   He also stressed on the need to strengthen the SAARC Secretariat to meet the ever-increasing ambit of regional cooperation under the auspices of the Association.

The Secretary-General thanked the Foreign Secretary for the support and cooperation extended to him and the Secretariat by the Government of Nepal as the host.

The Foreign Secretary complimented the Secretary-General for the exemplary leadership he provided to the Secretariat in taking forward the process of regional cooperation.

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

H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) addressed the Inaugural Session of the Fifth SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave in New Delhi today.

Organized by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Conclave brought together Hon. Ministers of Commerce and Industry from all the Member States of SAARC except Bangladesh, besides a large number of trade delegations from them. The Conclave was devoted to theme, South Asian Century: Progressing towards Regional Integration.

Addressing the Inaugural Session of the Conclave, the Secretary-General stated, “Economic cooperation in the region was initiated in the early 90s with the institution of the Committee on Economic Cooperation, following the completion of the first SAARC Study on Trade and Manufactures and Services.  While it is very true that SAARC has taken small steps at a time, there has never been a case of looking back.  As a result, SAARC today has many a success story to relate.” He further said, “Since the early 1990s, SAARC has taken several important initiatives to enhance regional economic integration. The SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), and more recently, the SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS) are landmark Agreements in the pursuit of our common objective of speedy regional integration. With the coming into being of these Agreements, statistical evidence suggests that intra-sub regional trade among SAFTA members is rising slowly and steadily. South Asia’s intra-sub-regional trade share increased from 2.7% in 1990 to 4.3% in 2011.”

H. E. Mr. Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India delivered the Inaugural Address at the Conclave. Others addressing the Inaugural Session included Mr. V. S. Sahney, President, SCCI, Mr. Sidharth Birla, President, FICCI, and Mr. Siegfried Herzog, Regional Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) paid a visit to Bhutan from 13 to 14 January 2014.

During the visit, the Secretary-General paid a courtesy call on His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King ofBhutan. During the meeting, the Secretary-General apprised His Majesty the King of Bhutan about the current status of regional cooperation, with particular reference to intra-regional trade and connectivity. His Majesty the King expressed Bhutan’s unequivocal support to the SAARC process for the common good of the peoples in the region.

The Secretary-General called on H. E. Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Bhutan during the visit. In his meeting with the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General informed the Prime Minister of the latest initiatives of SAARC in several agreed areas of regional cooperation. The Prime Minister expressed his Government’s unwavering commitment to the strengthening of regional cooperation under the auspices of SAARC.

During the visit, the Secretary-General also called on H. E. Lyonpo Rinzin Dorje, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Royal Government of Bhutan. The Minister and the Secretary-General exchanged views on matters of common interest, particularly SAARC and its diverse agenda of cooperation. They also discussed matters pertaining to the Inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers and its preceding meetings to be held in the Maldives from 17 to 20 February 2014. The Minister hosted a dinner in honour of the Secretary-General in which senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Executive Heads of SAARC regional institutions attended. 

While in Thimphu, the Secretary-General also met H. E. Dasho Yeshey Dorji, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Government of Bhutan and discussed issues pertaining to SAARC. Matters relating to the Special Session of the Standing Committee scheduled for 17 February 2014 in the Maldives figured prominently during the discussions. In keeping with the directive of the Seventeenth SAARC Summit, the Committee is expected to consider the entire gamut of issues vis-à-vis SAARC’s engagement with its Observers. During the meeting, the Secretary-General also apprised the Foreign Secretary about the Comprehensive Study undertaken by the Secretariat in strengthening SAARC’s mechanisms, including the SAARC Secretariat, Regional Centres and Specialized Bodies of SAARC.

While in Thimphu, the Secretary-General paid a visit to the SAARC Forestry Centre and the SABAH project, funded by the SAARC Development Fund based in Thimphu, Bhutan.

The Secretary-General was accompanied by his spouse, Mrs. Ayesha Manike and Mr. Singye Dorjee, Director, SAARC Secretariat.

H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) paid a visit to Pakistan from 7 to 8 January 2014.

During the visit, the Secretary-General called on H. E. Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs; H.E. Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs; and H. E. Mr. Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Foreign Secretary.

During the Secretary-General’s call on H. E. Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, the Advisor reiterated that Pakistan is fully committed to the principles and objectives of the SAARC Charter to promote the welfare of the people of this region through effective regional integration. He further stated that Pakistan is a vibrant member of SAARC and hoped that despite several impediments, SAARC will become a catalyst for regional development.

In his meeting with the Secretary-General, H. E. Mr. Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, highlighted that Pakistan values SAARC as a dynamic regional platform for building economic synergies, deepening regional integration and bringing the people of South Asia together.

The Foreign Secretary hosted a luncheon in honour of the Secretary-General which was also attended by Envoys from the SAARC Member States based in Islamabad, Federal Secretaries, Directors from three SAARC Regional Centres and high officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the calls on the high dignitaries, the Secretary-General apprised them of the current status of regional cooperation under the auspices of SAARC with particular reference to intra-regional connectivity and economic integration. The Secretary-General briefed the dignitaries about the preparations underway for the convening of the Inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers and its preceding meetings to be held in the Maldives from 17 to 20 February 2014. He also informed them about the Comprehensive Study that the SAARC Secretariat has undertaken to strengthen the SAARC mechanisms, including the SAARC Secretariat and Regional Centres. This is the first time in the history of the Association that the Secretariat has been mandated to prepare such a Study.