India News Online » News Analysis » Indian Subcontinent » 

SAARC summit ruled out: Lankan pressure for the summit

	December 18, 2000

As Sri Lankan Foreign Minister arrived in New Delhi on 14th December, India ruled out an early meeting of the South Asian Association fort Regional cooperation summit. Mr. Kadirgamar had reportedly said he would raise the issue with the Indian leadership during his visit. Burt New Delhi made it clear that members had failed to reach a consensus on this issue. An External Affairs Minis

try official said the SAARC summit can take place at a convenient time when all member-States take a unanimous decision on it. New Delhi claimed that it continues to take part in all the technical and expert committee meetings of the SAARC.



The SAARC summit of late has become a victim of the India-Pakistan problem. Pakistan blames India for staling the process, while new Delhi has used the military takeover in Islamabad as an excuse to not attend the summit. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been active to revive the SAARC process. Bangladesh prime Minister Hasina Wajed also reacted very sharply to the military takeover in Pakistan but the Bangladesh Prime Minister sent her foreign secretary to Pakistan and India recently who announced Dhaka's total commitment to SAARC .