Nepal to facilitate 19th SAARC Summit in Pakistan

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli made a commitment to former Pakistan prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani that Nepal would facilitate the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Pakistan.

As per state news agency Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) report, Prime Minister Oli made his commitment during a meeting with Gillani, who at present is in Nepal to attend the Asia Pacific Summit.

"During a meeting with the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yusuf Raza Gillani, who is currently in Nepal in course of his participation in the ongoing Asia Pacific Summit in Kathmandu, Prime Minister Oli said Nepal, as the current Chair of SAARC, would play a role to hold the coming SAARC Summit in Pakistan and was desperate to hand over the chairmanship," RSS reported.

The 19th SAARC summit will be hosted by Pakistan.

Last month, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had repeated that India would not participate in the summit until Pakistan stops its terrorist attacks over India.

A majority of SAARC nations have also denounced to participate in the summit after a terrorist attack on an Indian army base by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

In March this year, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on his previous visit to Nepal, which is the current chair of SAARC had pressed Prime Minister Oli to take steps to create an environment for the commencement of the summit.

RSS quoted Prime Minister Oli's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Rajan Bhattarai as saying that Gillani informed him that the Pakistani people and political parties were committed to SAARC and ready to host the summit.

Prime Minister Oli also reiterated that Nepal was for making effective the regional organisation, the agency reported.