KATHMANDU, Nepal: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries signed a framework agreement on energy cooperation at the concluding ceremony of the summit held in Kathmandu on Thursday.
The prime minister’s adviser on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz signed the agreement from the Pakistani side.
In his short address at the concluding ceremony of the summit, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated all the participating countries on successful completion of the conference.
Sharif said that Pakistan will be looking forward for the member countries at the 19th SAARC Conference in Islamabad in 2016.
“The 18th SAARC summit has reaffirmed our resolve to create an inclusive, just, equitable partnership for peace, development and prosperity under the platform of SAARC,” he said.
Nawaz Sharif said that the member states must adapt a realistic, pragmatic and step by step approach towards solution of issues which will open up new channels of cooperation.
The Pakistani premier and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi warmly shook hands at the conclusion of the two-day summit.
Both the leaders also exchanged pleasantries on the occasion.
The 18th SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu on November 26-27 with its theme “Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity”.
The leaders of the eight-member alliance comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the two-day summit.
The summit took place after an interval of three years as the last summit had been held in 2011 in Maldives.
The Pakistani premier also held separate meetings with six SAARC leaders on the sidelines of the summit, and discussed bilateral as well as regional issues. However, no formal meeting was held between prime ministers of Pakistan and India.
