SAARC home ministers to discuss issues of terrorism, security

The home ministerial-level meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations is taking place in New Delhi, India on Wednesday.

The ministers from the region will take up issues including terrorism, human trafficking, regional border security, visa regulations and so on at the second such regional conference.

Ahead of the ministerial level talks, the Secretaries of Home Ministries as well as police chiefs of the member states met on Tuesday.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula will take part in the meeting, on Wednesday, leading the Nepali delegation.

Reports say that the meetings will also focus on the comprehensive mechanism to draw mutual legal assistance to check trans-border crime and trafficking of children and women apart from measures to prevent financing of terrorist acts and trafficking of narcotic drugs and illicit arms.

Ministers and senior officials from eight member states Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan will take part in the meeting.

"India is hosting the second meeting of SAARC interior/home ministers preceded by the second meeting of SAARC home secretaries and sixth SAARC conference on cooperation in police matters during Oct 23-25. As per SAARC tradition, India, as host, will chair the meetings," said a statement issued by India's Ministry of Home Affairs.

"The home secretaries will be meeting on Tuesday in the capital, while home ministers would meet on Wednesday for the sixth SAARC summit on police matters in the capital," the statement added. nepalnews.com sd Oct 23 07