3 accords to be signed in Thimphu summit

Three agreements for cooperation on environment, trade in services and natural disasters will be signed in the upcoming 16th Saarc Summit scheduled to be held in Bhutan on April 28-29.
“Through the summit, we expect more regional integration to accelerate the common goals of poverty reduction, connectivity and sharing of water resources,” said Bhutanese Ambassador Dasho Bap Kesang.
The envoy said this while briefing newsmen on the summit at a press conference at Bhutanese embassy in the city.
The permanent secretariat of Saarc Development Fund (SDF) with initial fund of $300 million will also be inaugurated during the summit, which is expected to embrace around 500 delegates, he added.
Expressing warmth of the Bhutanese people because of the fact that it is arranging the Saarc summit for the first time and that they were completely prepared with foolproof security, he said the central theme of the summit is climate change.
On SDF, Kesang said it would serve as the umbrella financial institution for all Saarc projects and programmes and address administrative, financial and operational difficulties arising out of the proliferation of financing mechanisms under Saarc.
The pre-summit will be held from April 24 to 27 that will include official and minister-level sessions. Heads of the state and government will meet from April 28 to 29.