Kathmandu, December 25 :

A delegation led by Bharat Bahadur Thapa, secretary at the ministry of industry, commerce and supplies left for Islamabad today to participate at the first secretary level meeting on multimodal transport being held on December 26-28.

According to an official at the ministry, the SAARC level meeting aims at moving ahead in the integrated transport system in the whole region to boost economies of the members states through better infrastructure development.

Included in the delegation are joint secretary at the industry ministry Purushottam Ojha and senior official at the ministry for Physical Planning and Works Dinkar Shrestha.

SAARC are moving ahead in developing regional transport system such as railways, road, inland waterways, aviation gateways and regional maritime.

The discussion of regional transport connectivity is being held in Islamabad as per the decision of SAARC summit held in 2004, in Islamabad.

Nepal has prepared seven points for transport corridors: Kakarbhitta, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Dhangadi, Birgunj, Mahendranagar and Nepalgunj.

The South Asian regional block believes that the transport connectivity will help increase investments, employment generation, enhanced economic growth and reduction in transit costs.

SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu has prepared a draft report on ‘SAARC Regional Multimodal Transport (SRMT)’, which will be discussed at the Islamabad meeting to give final touches.