New Delhi, March 3:

The SAARC discussion on energy will be held here on Monday. The discussion will focus on the objective of energy sector cooperation in SAARC nations, overall improvement of the sector, access to different means of energy and extension of transmission lines among SAARC countries. The Indian foreign ministry and central energy ministry of India are co-organising the discussion.

All seven SAARC nations will attend the discussion, India’s central energy ministry said today.

“The discussion will be held on Monday as per Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh’s proposal during the 13th SAARC summit held in Dhaka on November, 2005 of initiating such a discussion,” a statement issued by the Indian energy ministry said. “The discussion would be a means to exploit the resources and possibilities of energy among SAARC nations and promote cooperation within SAARC,” the statement added.

The discussion will centre on promotion of renewal resources of energy, extension of grade, extension of gas pipelines, promotion of hydro-electricity, economy of energy and simplification of standards of energy.

Central energy minister of India Sushil Kumar Shinde would inaugurate the discussion. “Undersecretary to the ministry of Water Resources Anup Kumar Upadhyaya, deputy secretary to the foreign ministry Dipak Dhital and representatives of the government and non-governmental sectors will attend the discussion,” the Nepalese Embassy here said. Meanwhile, minister of state for water resources Gyanendra Bahadur Karki is arriving here to attend a meeting of SAARC energy and water resource ministers scheduled to be held on March 7.