SAARC Summit

The proposed bloc, discussed at a Kunming trilateral, aims to boost trade and connectivity among willing SAARC members

Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has urged the SAARC member nations to explore all the viable options to convene the 19th summit of the eight-member regional body at an early date

Modi asserted that it was important for the SAARC member countries to work together and said the region can best respond to the coronavirus pandemic by "coming together, not growing apart"

To mark the occasion, the EC has organised an international conference on the theme Strengthening Institutional Capacity'

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said at his weekly briefing that Pakistan wanted to hold the summit as early as possible

The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended by Modi

The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended by Modi

After India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka also pulled out of the summit

"Pakistan deplores India's decision to impede the SAARC process by not attending the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad on 9-10 November 2016," the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement

Nepal Foreign Ministry said the 4 nations pulled out citing that current regional environment is not conducive to the successful holding of the Summit

The eight members regional grouping was now equally split for and against India's position to pull out from the summit

Sri Lanka has already said that the Saarc Summit would not be possible without India's participation

The tension between the two of the bigger member states - India and Pakistan have seldom seen eye to eye on efforts at regional cooperation

Bhutan said the recent escalation of terrorism in the region has compromised the environment for the summit

New Delhi to review its grant of MFN status to Pakistan