H. E. Ms. Fatema Z. Sumar, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the U. S. Department of State called on H. E. Mr. Arjun B. Thapa, Secretary-General of SAARC at the SAARC Secretariat today.

The visiting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State conveyed to H. E. Mr. Thapa the best wishes of H. E. Mr. John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State for a successful tenure as the Secretary-General of SAARC.

During the meeting, H. E. the Secretary-General apprised the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the current status of regional cooperation under the auspices of SAARC, with particular reference to intra-regional trade and connectivity.

The visiting dignitary expressed the keen interest of the United States of America to engage actively with SAARC as an observer state. The United States became an observer to SAARC at the Fourteenth SAARC Summit held in New Delhi in April 2007.

Matters pertaining to the Eighteenth SAARC Summit to be hosted by Nepal in November 2014 also figured during the discussions.

H. E. Ms. Sumar was accompanied by H. E. Mr. Peter W. Bodde, Ambassador of the United States of America to Nepal.

Mr. Dhan Bahadur Oli, Director, was present at the meeting.