Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that his vision for the region was of a dispute-free South Asia where instead of fighting one another, the countries jointly fought poverty, illiteracy, disease, mal-nourishment and unemployment.
He stated the above during a speech at the 18th summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation being held in Kathmandu and highlighted the importance of the organisation and how it epitomized the aspirations of the people of the region for peace and prosperity.
Indian Premier Narendra Modi is among other Saarc leaders, who are attending the summit.
The Kathmandu summit is being attended by a number of observers from China, Japan, Australia, the United States and the European Union. The summit has been preceded by preparatory meetings at the senior official and ministerial levels. Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry met his counterparts at the Saarc Standing Committee Meeting, which was followed by the meeting of Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the prime minister on national security and foreign affairs.
