Girija is representating the nation still after resignation

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is leaving for Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday to attend the 15th Summit of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).

Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat has already left for Colombo, Wednesday, to attend the ministerial-level meetings at the SAARC.

After days of uncertainty due to delay in formation of new government, caretaker PM Koirala is finally set to lead Nepali delegation at SAARC Summit. He is also expected to meet with regional leaders including Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Summit.

The Summit, scheduled for August 2 and 3, is expected to finalise four different agreements. They include an agreement on SAARC Development Fund, South Asian regional standards organisation, taking on board Afghanistan into South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) pact and mutual legal assistance to deal with criminal activities.

The Summit is also likely to give high priority to regional cooperation in dealing with issues such as poverty alleviation, food security, energy crisis, terrorism and climate change.

There are eight member states in SAARC including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan

Source: www.nepalnews.com