KATHMANDU; Bhutan, the country that will be hosting the upcoming 16th SAARC Summit, has begun preparations for the meet.

The summit is scheduled to be held in April 28-29. A meeting of the SAARC standing committee will be held through April 25-26, while a meeting of the SAARC council of ministers will take place on April 27.

This is the first time Bhutan is hosting the summit ever since the inception of the regional body in 1985. Citing inadequate physical infrastructure, Bhutan had refused to host the regional gathering though it was given three chances for the same in the past.

However, Bhutan got the opportunity this time as Maldives refused to host the summit citing global recession and tourist season in the country.

Officials at the SAARC secretariat in Kathmandu today said climate change would be the agenda of the upcoming summit. The summit is expected to formulate strategies and action plans to tackle the effects of climate change. Bhutan has the responsibility to prepare a draft regarding the same and would distribute it to member states soon, an official at the secretariat told The Himalayan Times.

Terrorism and extremism are other issues that the meet will dwell upon. Further, ahead of the summit, the home ministers and secretaries of member countries are meeting in Pakistan through February 16-20 to discuss issues, including international crime and drug peddling.

In recent years, the SAARC countries have been giving priority to the security of the neighbourhood. Even during Indian Minister for External Affairs SM Krishna’s visit to Nepal, the two countries agreed to tackle international terrorism and extremism together.

Meanwhile, Jaya Mukunda Khanal, spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs, said Home Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal will fly to Pakistan on February 18 to participate in the ministerial meeting.

The meeting will do intensive homework on issues to be raised in the April summit. Similarly, a meeting of the programming committee of SAARC to figure out the agenda for the summit is taking place in Kathmandu through January 28-29.