KATHMANDU: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to hold a meeting with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in the sidelines of SAARC Summit on Wednesday afternoon.
Foreign Ministry sources said the meeting will be held at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu at 3:15pm (local time) after the inauguration and first session of SAARC Summit.
The two leaders will discuss about bilateral issues, sources added.
The first meeting between the two prime ministers was held in the sidelines of UNGA in September.
The Bangladesh premier also will call on Nepal premier Sushil Koirala at 3:50pm, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at 4:40pm and Maldives’ President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom at 5:00pm at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza.
Besides, she also will attend the dinner and cultural programme which will be thrown by Nepal premier in honour of SAARC leaders.
Sheikh Hasina reached Kathmandu Tuesday afternoon. Narendra Modi also reached on the same day.
The SAARC leaders will enter the “Rastriya Sabha Griha”, the conference building of the Summit, at 9:21am and take part in a group photo session.
The 18th SAARC Summit will kick off at 9:30am (local time).
Maldives’ President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom will deliver the inauguration speech.
Later, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala will flame a lamp.
The chairperson for the 18th Summit also will be selected in the inauguration programme.
Later, the SAARC leaders will address one after another. Sheikh Hasina is expected to deliver her speech around 11:00am.
The premier will attend the closing ceremony after visiting the Dhulikhel Mountain Resort of Nepal with all other SAARC leaders in the morning on November 27.
Later, she will attend the dinner that will thrown by Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav in honour of SAARC leaders.
Sheikh Hasina is expected to return the country at the noon on November 28.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and geopolitical organisation of eight countries that are primarily located in South Asia.
The idea of regional political and economical cooperation in South Asia was first raised in 1980 and the first summit was held in Dhaka on December 8, 1985, when the organisation was established by the governments of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Since then the organisation has expanded by accepting one new full member, Afghanistan and several observer members.
** PM reaches Nepal to join SAARC summit
BDST: 0943 HRS, NOV 26, 2014
