There is no consensus that will permit holding of SAARC summit: MEA
Jan 06, 2022
New Delhi [India], January 6 : Emphasising that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation's summit is not being held due to certain reasons, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that no material change in the situation has been made, therefore there is still no consensus that would permit holding of the summit.
"We have seen media reports regarding the Pakistan Foreign Minister's remarks about the SAARC summit. You are aware of the background as to why the SAARC summit has not to be held since 2014," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi during a press briefing on Thursday.
"There has been no material change in the situation since then. Therefore, there is still no consensus that would permit holding of the summit," he added.
As per the SAARC charter, if any of the members refuses to attend the meeting, then the summit will not be held.
On Monday, a Pakistani Minister said that India has been invited to the upcoming SAARC Summit.
"Pakistan considers SAARC as an important forum. We are willing to host the 19th SAARC summit and if India has any issue in attending the summit in person then it can attend the meeting virtually," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said during a news conference.
Last year, India boycotted the SAARC summit which was scheduled for November 16, 2021, because of the tensions between the two countries. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) foreign ministers meet slated to be held in New York was cancelled because Pakistan wanted the Taliban to represent Afghanistan in the SAARC meet.
The SAARC is the regional intergovernmental organization of eight countries of South Asia -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
