ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan will formally invite the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders to attend the next block summit in Islamabad this year when the Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz will hold talks with the Foreign Ministers of member countries in Nepal on March 17.
The 37th SAARC foreign ministerial level meeting will be held in Pakhara City of Nepal on March 16 and 17 which will also be attended by the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Advisor Sartaj Aziz.
In a statement, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Nafees Zakaria said on Monday that Sartaj Aziz will hold meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the Summit and will extend formal invitation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to leaders of SAARC countries to attend the 19th SAARC Summit.
The 19th SAARC Summit will be held in Islamabad in September 2016.
“The Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sartaj Aziz, will meet Foreign Ministers of SAARC Countries on the sidelines of the SAARC Council of Ministers’ meeting on 17 March 2016 in Nepal to extend Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s formal invitation to their respective Heads of State/Heads of Government for the 19th SAARC Summit, being hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad this year,” the spokesman said.
Sartaj Aziz is also likely to hold discussion with the Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the SAARC foreign ministerial level meeting in Pakhara.
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already confirmed his participating in the SAARC summit to be held in Islamabad this year.
