SAARC Council of Ministers meeting begins

The 34th Session of the Council of SAARC Ministers has begun, at the Equatorial Convention Centre in Addu City, the Maldives. The Session is being held as part of the final preparations for the 17th SAARC Summit to begin at the same Centre on the 11th of this month.

Foreign Ministers from 8 countries of SAARC participate in the session that is going on as of now. The Ministers shall discuss and agree on the final resolutions to be passed during the Summit.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem of the Maldives is presiding the Session. The Ministers have already agreed to cooperate in the areas of disaster management, trade and measures to enhance free trade, inter-country ferry transport, enhancing education in the region through the South Asian University. These agreements shall be formally ratified by the leaders of SAARC nations during the Summit.

A UNICEF Report on protection of the rights of children was publicized at the opening of the Session, and the second sitting of the session being conducted today is not open to the media. Officials have stated that details about the decisions of today’s sitting would be disclosed to the media sometime tonight.