KATHMANDU, MAY 26
The Embassy of the South Korea in Nepal and Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly organised a seminar on enhancing regional integration and cooperation in South Asia in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
The seminar, titled "Enhancing Regional Integration and Cooperation in South Asia", was held at Hotel Crowne Imperial and brought together policymakers, experts and stakeholders to discuss opportunities and challenges related to regional cooperation in South Asia.
According to the organisers, the programme focused on strengthening collaboration in areas such as energy, transport, connectivity and sustainable development to promote inclusive growth and balanced regional development.
The seminar also explored institutional, political and economic challenges affecting regional integration and discussed practical approaches to strengthening partnerships in the region.
The event was conducted in two sessions. The first session focused on assessing the current state of regional integration in South Asia, while the second discussed policy recommendations for expanding regional cooperation, including collaboration with middle-power countries.
Discussions also covered the potential role of external partners, including South Korea, in supporting regional cooperation through trade, investment and development assistance.
South Korea has been an observer nation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation since 2006 and has been working with South Asian countries on areas including energy, connectivity, logistics and economic cooperation.
Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, South Korean Ambassador to Nepal Park Taeyoung and a representative from SAARC Secretariat addressed the seminar.
Scholars from institutions including NIICE, IIDS, Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University presented papers on different aspects of regional engagement and cooperation in South Asia.
Around 100 participants, including government officials, diplomats, media personnel and members of the public, attended the seminar.
