The eight South Asian countries which form the regional forum plan to improve security cooperation, forge greater connectivity and boost economic integration over the next four days.
Over the next four days eight South Asian countries will discuss ways to relax visa norms and take forward various other initiatives including cooperation in fight against terrorism.
The SAARC foreign secretaries will meet in Thimpu for two days from tomorrow, taking stock of the various initiatives aimed at cooperation in security, forging greater connectivity and economic integration.
They will finalise a report that will be considered by the meeting of Council of Ministers to be held on February 8 and 9.
Ahead of these meetings, Joint Secretaries in-charge of SAARC met here today to finetune the agenda.
The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme is expected to be one of the major issues on the agenda of the meeting which would be attended by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his counterparts from other seven member nations, sources said.
There has been a proposal for expanding the list of people from various fields of life to be exempted from visa requirement for travel within eight SAARC member countries.
At present MPs, judges, 100 identified business leaders, sportspersons and 150 journalists are availing SAARC Visa facility.
Seeking a modification in the scheme, India wants that the prior approval should be accorded to the three categories — business persons, sportspersons and journalists.
Once the prior approval is taken, they may be given special stickers with long-term multi-entry provision, sources said, adding the idea was to improve the system so that it can be implemented effectively without any fear of misuse.
The SAARC council of ministers' meeting is also expected to discuss the progress made in the implementation of regional Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).
The MLAT was agreed upon at the SAARC summit in Colombo in 2008. Since then, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives have ratified it but Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal are yet to do so, the sources said.
The SAARC countries, at the home minister's conference in Islamabad in June 2010, had also agreed to step up cooperation in fight against terror and consider a proposal to form a Saarc Police force (SAARCPOL) on the pattern of Interpol.
These proposals are expected to be discussed further at the upcoming meet.
Aspects related to the SAARC food bank are also expected to be deliberated upon amid requests from some countries that the threshold of the items to be drawn from it needed to be brought down so that the bank could serve its utility better.
Utilisation of the South Asia Development Fund is also expected to be discussed. Three projects have already been identified for implementation under the fund, including a teachers' training programme in Pakistan.
SAARC Secretary General Sheelkant Sharma said the progress made in the last two years is "not insignificant" although he would have like more to happen on the South Asia Development Fund implementation.
India has already contributed about 90 million U.S. dollars besides 100 million US dollars as voluntary contribution to the fund.
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