DHAKA: Curtain of the 18th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is going to be unveiled in Nepalese capital city of Katmandu on November 22, confirmed sources of the foreign ministry.

Government of Nepal is likely to announce the date of the summit upon receiving the approvals from the member countries.

Earlier, Nepal hosted the 3rd SAARC summit in 1987 and the 11th summit 2002.

After the official announcement, Nepalese foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey would travel to the member countries to invite the heads of state and governments.

This year, the summit venue is City Hall of Pradarshani Marga in Kathmandu.

According to the sources, Nepalese foreign minister will place of a proposal before the country’s cabinet to announce the date for the summit.

Several panels led-by Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala are working on the summit and its theme.

As per the draft event calendar, programming committee meeting at the joint-secretary level would be held on November 22 and the foreign secretary-level standing committee meeting on November 23-24.

Meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers, comprised of foreign ministers of member countries, is set for November 25-26, while November 27 is the concluding day of the summit.

Inauguration of the summit would be held on November 26 and curtain of the summit would be closed on November 27 through announcing the Summit Declarations and a retreat for the regional leaders.

VVIPs, VIPs from member states – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – and nine observer countries and journalists of foreign media would attend the summit.

The 17th Saarc Summit was held at Addu City in the Maldives in 2011 where Nepal announced to host the next summit. But, the country showed inability to host the summit due to its inter-political stalemate for last years.

The sources told banglanews that at the summit, Bangladesh is likely to ask the member countries’ cooperation on economy, power and energy, disaster management, security, education, agriculture and rural development, climate change, and science and technology.

But, Bangladesh is giving emphasis on the transnational communication, because if the communication system becomes strong all other cooperation will be boosted within the shortest period of time, the sources added.

BDST: 1510 HRS, JUL 26, 2614