SAARC session held in Nepal
The 36th Session of the SAARC Programing Committee, chaired by
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
Prasad Kariyawasam, was held at the SAARC Secretariat in Katmandu on
August 10 and 11.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Foreign/External
Affairs Ministries of all SAARC Member States.
Deliberations included issues related to meetings of SAARC technical
committees, working groups and regional centres; consideration of
efficiency and disciplinary rules for regional centres; financial and
administrative matters of the SAARC Secretariat and Regional Centres and
the schedule of SAARC programs and activities for the period 2009-2010.
The Committee paid special attention to the need for SAARC to have an
effective media outreach strategy in the context of SAARC having
graduated to an implementation phase.
Member states acknowledged Sri Lanka’s efforts in establishing the
Office of the SAARC Cultural Centre in Colombo earlier this year.
The Committee recommended to the Standing Committee comprised of
SAARC Foreign Secretaries, approval of the budget of the SAARC Cultural
Centre to be established in Matara as well as proposed activities of the
Centre in 2009-2010.
Recognising the potential of the Centre in promoting South Asian
Culture, member states welcomed Sri Lanka’s initiative which will foster
greater understanding amongst peoples of the region and beyond.
The committee also discussed arrangements for the sixteenth SAARC
Summit which will be held in Bhutan in April 2010. |