SAARC programming committee meets underway in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: The 62nd Session of the Programming Committee of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) began on Wednesday in Kathmandu, the SAARC Secretariat said.

The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Nepal, is being held in Kathmandu and is scheduled to conclude today. It brings together the National Focal Points and delegates of the SAARC member states, along with senior officials of the SAARC Secretariat.

Inaugurating the session, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai underscored the vital role of Programming Committee meetings in keeping SAARC functional and focused. According to the SAARC Secretariat, Rai maintained that regional cooperation is not merely ‘desirable but also essential’, as it serves as a bridge between national efforts and global processes and provides a platform for collective regional solutions.

Reaffirming Nepal’s strong belief in the continued relevance of SAARC, he suggested a gradual, step-by-step approach to resuming pending meetings. Rai emphasised that a pragmatic, flexible and forward-looking approach would go a long way in ensuring that SAARC, along with its Regional Centres and Specialised Bodies, remains able and empowered to address emerging challenges and deliver tangible results for the benefit of the people of the region.

Likewise, Secretary General of SAARC, Md Golam Sarwar, urged a more dynamic future in which practical steps could be taken to turn the aspiration of cooperation into the reality of progress.

By RSS