- Title: BHUTAN: India-Pakistan shadow looms as South Asia's top diplomats meet in Bhutan
- Date: 26th April 2010
- Summary: THIMPHU, BHUTAN (APRIL 25, 2010) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) FLAGS OUTSIDE THE MEETING VENUE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING WHERE THE MEETING OF FOREIGN SECRETARIES OF SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC) IS BEING HELD PAKISTANI FOREIGN SECRETARY SALMAN BASHIR ARRIVING INDIAN FOREIGN SECRETARY NIRUPAMA RAO STANDING AND TALKING TO DELEGATES DELEGATES SITTING AFGHAN DELEGATES SITTING DELEGATES SITTING SALMAN BASHIR SITTING NIRUPAMA RAO SITTING BHUTANESE FOREIGN SECRETARY DAW PENJO SITTING MORE OF VENUE A PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING A PICTURE (SOUNDBITE) (English) HARSH VARDHAN SHRINGLA , DIRECTOR GENERAL SAARC FROM INDIA, SAYING "As you saw, Bhutan was just elected as the chair of the committee. I think all of us are very confident that under their leadership and their stewardship SAARC will make significant progress forward." FLAGS OF THE SAARC NATIONS DELEGATES POSING FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
- Embargoed: 11th May 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bhutan
- Country: Bhutan
- Reuters ID: LVA56NFKDB4A19M8VQXKL0WSTNZM
- Story Text: The top diplomats of the eight south Asian nations met in the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu, on Sunday (April 25) to discuss trade and environment and prepare the groundwork for the proposed meetings of their leaders next week.
Foreign Secretaries of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Maldives -- the eight countries that form the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) were setting the agenda for the summit due to be held on April 28 and 29.
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian diplomat in-charge of SAARC affairs, said the organization that is home to more than 1.6 billion people, hoped to make substantial progress on various issues, including environment where the summit is expected to sign a joint declaration entitled "Towards a Green and Happy South Asia".
"As you saw, Bhutan was just elected as the chair of the committee. I think all of us are very confident that under their leadership and their stewardship SAARC will make significant progress forward," said Shringla.
But, as in the past, the event is once again likely to be overshadowed by a probable meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan. The two sides' unmitigated animosity has undermined greater regional cooperation, an agenda that was the founding principle of the eight-nation bloc of SAARC.
India halted peace talks with Pakistan after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed and which India has blamed on Pakistan-based groups.
A meeting between the leaders is seen as crucial because it could help keep alive the idea of engagement between two players whose battle for influence in Afghanistan has a direct bearing on Western efforts to stabilise a region with 1.8 billion people.
Earlier this week, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said there was "as of now" no offer of a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Yousaf Raza Gilani, but did not completely rule out the possibility of one.
The two sides have been tentative about engaging since their top diplomats met in New Delhi in February but failed to achieve a breakthrough. That meeting, nonetheless, was seen as a small step towards repairing ties.
Differences over the nature of talks have held up a further meeting -- Pakistan wants India to restart the peace process; India wants to go slow until Islamabad acts against the Mumbai attack planners.
The United States has been urging the two sides to reduce tension so that Pakistan can focus better on fighting the Taliban on its western border with Afghanistan.
While SAARC summits are often little more than a backdrop to bilateral meetings between India and Pakistan, the bloc has tried to push forward cooperation in trade and commerce.
This time the eight countries are expected to sign an agreement on trade in services that will boost regional collaboration in health, hospitality, communications and computer and information services. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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