Premier arrives in Dhaka for SAARC Summit

DHAKA—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz arrived in Dhaka on Friday to attend the 13th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) conference to be held here today (Saturday).
He was received by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khalida Zia at the Dhaka International Airport.
Two children presented the Prime Minister with a bouquet. The Pakistani Ambassador to Bangladesh and other high-ranking officials were also present on the occasion.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Friday discussed the future agenda of the seven member regional alliance of SAARC and the possibility of getting new members and observers into its fold, with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan.
During the call on by the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister, soon after Prime Minister’s arrival in the capital Dhaka to attend the two-day summit, focused on the challenges facing the region and how to make the organization more effective and beneficial for the entire region.
Prime Minister Aziz was updated on the meeting of the Council of Ministers earlier in the day and the future agenda of SAARC.
They also talked about the possibility of getting new members and observers into this august body.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan was a strong supporter of SAARC and congratulated the host government for making “excellent arrangements” and overwhelming hospitality.
They also discussed bilateral relations, expanding and improving the joint economic commission, need for more trade and investment between the two countries, which, the Prime Minister said, was moving in the right direction.
Referring to the challenges confronting the nation, the Prime Minister said there was general understanding that the association needs to be expanded in scope and the secretariat strengthened.
Aziz said there was a need for infusion of sectoral expertise, as the region faces enormous challenges and needs the right people in the right place.—APP