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International Relations, Sociology, Law, Biotechnology and Computer Science. As this news goes to print, SAU invites applications from South Asian students for admission into its third academic
year, the common entrance examination for which is scheduled to be held in SAARC capitals on 27 May 2012. The third academic session will commence on 16 July 2012. For further information, please visit: http://www.southasianuniversity.org.
SAARC NEWS is the official Newsletter of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and is published by its Secretariat in Kathmandu. It reports on on-going developments, decisions and meetings of the Association. It also covers activities within South Asia aimed at promoting regional cooperation.
Newsletter of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperaton
No. 1
Editorial
Ahmed Saleem took over the mantle of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in March. He is the eleventh Secretary-General of the regional Association and succeeds Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed. Meeting in Dhaka in January, Finance Ministers iterated the importance of intensified regional cooperation in trade and finance. Finance Secretaries who had assembled a day ahead at the same venue prepared the groundwork for the Ministerial meet. Convening on the sidelines of their meeting in Dhaka, Finance Ministers also held the Second Meeting of the Governing Council of the SAARC Development Fund of which they are valued members. In their country statements, the Ministers underscored the need to operationalize the Economic and Infrastructure Windows of the Fund. They also called for speedy implementation of the projects that are already underway under the Funds Social Window. At their Sixth Meeting in Islamabad in February, the SAFTA Ministerial Council decided to launch a fresh round of negotiations for further reduction of the number of products from the Sensitive Lists maintained by Member States. The Seventh Meeting of the SAFTA Committee of Experts preceded the Councils Session. A group of eminent experts gathered over their two-day meet in New Delhi in February to strengthen anti-terrorism mechanisms in the region. Representatives of all Member States attended the meeting. Meeting in Kathmandu and Islamabad in January and February respectively, an Expert Group called upon Member States to ratify the SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services to put it into force. The Group also urged all Member States to finalize before June 2012 the Schedules of Specific Commitments as provided for in the Agreement. Bangladesh hosted the Eleventh SAARC Trade Fair and Tourism Mart in Dhaka in March. Besides Member States, Observer States to SAARC also participated in the mega event for the first time. Work on Regional Poverty Profile advanced with the convening of an Inter-Governmental Meeting at the SAARC Secretariat in March. The 2009-10 edition of the Profile covers the theme, Food Security Challenges for the poor and social inclusion. During the first quarter of the year, the Governing Board of the South Asian University met in New Delhi. Sri Lanka organized a Symposium on Sustainable Energy Initiative for the SAARC Region and a Seminar on Corporate Taxation Issues in Colombo in March and April respectively. Nepal hosted a Workshop on Experience Sharing of Nepalese Biogas, Solar Home System and Micro-hydro Power Projects with other SAARC Countries in Kathmandu in March. A flurry of activities marked the calendar of the SAARC Cultural Centre during the period under review. At the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu, the Secretary-General received the Ambassadors of China and Japan to Nepal, besides entertaining several delegations from SAARC-affiliated bodies. In the meanwhile, Mohammad Ibrahim Ghafoori from Afghanistan joined the Secretariat as Director, succeeding Azizuddin Ahmadzada.
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BOARD OF EDITORS Mohammad Ibrahim Ghafoori Tareque Muhammad Pema L. Dorji Kumar Shrestha
SAARC Finance Ministers Fifth Meeting in Dhaka on under the Chairmanship of Abdul Muhith, Minister for Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, inaugurated the meeting. In her Inaugural Address, the Prime Minister underlined that economic integration was a long-term and incremental process requiring action, inter alia, on making more progress on the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), further reducing the Sensitive Lists, dismantling non-tariff and para-tariff barriers and progressing towards the harmonization of products standards. She also emphasized that while undertaking all these actions, special
women personalities involved in Arts and Culture. The Centre also celebrated its Foundation Day in March with a lecture delivered by Ambassador Nihal Rodrigo, former Secretary-General of SAARC. He spoke on the topic, Progress of SAARC in the current Global Context.
SAARC NEWS: January-March 2012 3
A delegation from SAARC Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs Council led by its Chairperson Pramila Acharya Rijal called on Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, on 22 March.
4 SAARC NEWS: January-March 2012
The SAARC Energy Centre (SEC) organized a SAARC Workshop on Experience Sharing of Nepalese Biogas, Solar Home System and Micro-hydro Power Projects with other SAARC Countries in Kathmandu on 13-14 March. The Workshop was organized in collaboration with the Alternative
Center
(AEPC),
The two-day Workshop was organized under SECs Programme, Thematic Area, Technology Transfer and Sharing Best Practices. Its objectives were to share experience on technical,
A delegation of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by its President Vikramjit Singh Sahney paid a courtesy call on Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, on 30 March.
SAARC NEWS: January-March 2012 5
Andrew Ellis, Director for Asia and Pacific, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) called on Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, on 30 March.
6 SAARC NEWS: January-March 2012
In order to promote intra-SAARC trade, SAARC Trade Fairs are held regularly in Member States. As a sequel, Bangladesh organized the Eleventh SAARC Trade Fair and the SAARC Tourism Mart in Dhaka on 30 March1 April. All Member States participated in the Fair. During the mega-event, Bangladesh provided one complementary stall each to Member States and Observer Countries to SAARC to display their products.
SAARC NEWS: January-March 2012 7
Ahmed Saleem of Maldives assumed responsibility as the Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) with effect from 12 March.
The Ambassador of China to Nepal, Yang Houlan, paid a courtesy Kunio Takahashi, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, paid a courtesy call on the Secretary-General on 27 March. call on the Secretary-General on 21 March.