With an aim to enhance regional connectivity and cooperation among South Asian countries, a two-day conference \u2018South Asia Amidst a New World Order\u2019 is being held in Kathmandu.<\/p>\n
The two-day event (March 25-26, 2018) was inaugurated by the Chairman of Federal Socialist Party Nepal Upendra Yadav and jointly organized by the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) and the Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung. <\/p>\n
In his inaugural address, Yadav stressed on the need for revival of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC<\/a>) activities for achieving the aforementioned targets and said South Asia has a vital role in shaping the New World Order.<\/p>\n The CASAS Nepal Director Nishchalnath Pandey also pitched on the need for increased cooperation among the South Asian countries.<\/p>\n The conference is hosting experts and eminent personalities from eight South Asian countries including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for a wide range of discussions on issues related to regional cooperation and beyond that.<\/p>\n Reasons that led to the derailment of SAARC process is one of the key discussions to be made at the event.<\/p>\n There has been a lot of discussion among South Asian countries around this particular matter of strengthening South Asia for the overall regional development.<\/p>\n Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has also reiterated the same in his recent two-day visit to Nepal, wherein, he had termed Nepal\u2019s support as vital for strengthening SAARC.<\/p>\n In this regard, he had also sought Nepal\u2019s full-fledged support to host the upcoming 19th<\/sup> SAARC Summit, which was initially planned in Pakistan but couldn\u2019t move forward due to some issues.<\/p>\n Now, the move is expected to take a positive turn following the Pakistan premier\u2019s aforementioned visit to Nepal.<\/p>\n On a similar occasion, SAARC Chamber President Suraj Vaidya had also opined that Abbasi\u2019s recent visit would also boost regional trade and business cooperation.<\/p>\n Suraj had also urged SAARC to have a special focus on poverty alleviation and improvement of trade, commerce and health sectors, among others.<\/p>\n Towards strengthening SAARC, Nepal has hosted various SAARC conferences in the recent times which include 10th South Asia Economic Summit<\/a> in November 2017, South Asia Religious Leaders\u2019 Platform for Children<\/a> in September 2017, South Asian Women\u2019s Conference<\/a> in August 2017, among others.<\/p>\nStrengthening SAARC, Need of the Hour<\/h4>\n
Nepal, Key for South Asia<\/h4>\n