Swaraj-Aziz to meet in Nepal; Pak to extend SAARC invite to PM

Swaraj-Aziz to meet in Nepal;Pak to extend SAARC invite to PM
Swaraj-Aziz to meet in Nepal;Pak to extend SAARC invite to PM Swaraj-Aziz to meet in Nepal;Pak to extend SAARC invite to PM

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be meeting her Pakistan counterpart Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of SAARC ministerial meeting on March 17 in Nepal.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in Islamabad that Aziz will meet Foreign Ministers of SAARC countries on the sidelines to extend formal invitations to their respective Heads of Government for the 19th SAARC Summit that will be hosted by Pakistan.

When asked about the meeting between the two leaders, sources in New Delhi said, “Aziz had sought a meeting to extend the invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the 19th SAARC Summit and India in all likelihood will go ahead with the meeting.” However, they did not divulge what will be the issues that India will discuss.

This will be the second meeting between Swaraj and Aziz after December 9 when the two countries announced resumption of Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue (CBD).

Zakaria said that Aziz “will meet Foreign Ministers of SAARC countries on the sidelines of the SAARC Council of Ministers’ meeting on March 17, 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.”

Aziz and Swaraj will be in Pokhara for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting on March 16 and 17.(Agencies)

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