H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, addressed the Core Group of Immigration and Visa Experts at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu today.

Participated in by representatives of all the Member States, the two-day Meeting of the Core Group brings together immigration and visa experts from the region in a bid to expand the scope of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. The Scheme currently entitles a limited number of people to visa-free travel within the region.

“I am happy to note that this meeting convenes finally today and tomorrow at the SAARC Secretariat with the participation of all the Member States. The presence of delegates from all the Member States not only signifies the importance of this meeting, but also augurs well for its success, paving the way for the smooth functioning of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme,” said the Secretary-General in his address.

The Fifth SAARC Summit held in November 1990 in the Maldives had decided to launch the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme with the ultimate objective of putting in place a visa free regime in South Asia. “You would agree with me that considered as a milestone in the history of SAARC, the Scheme, that became operational in 1992, has enormous potential in enhancing people to people contacts in the region. Though there are presently only 24 categories of entitled persons, the list is bound to grow with the passage of time in the larger interest of our Association,” the Secretary-General stated.
Referring to the concerns regarding difficulties with the revised procedures for issuance of visa stickers to certain categories of persons including the businessmen, the Secretary-General urged the meeting to simplify them. “I would like to urge this meeting to revisit the procedures to make them simple and achievable,” he said.

The Guidelines and Procedures governing the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme provides for annual meetings of the Immigration Authorities of Member States in order to facilitate its smooth functioning.

The Fifth Meeting of Immigration Authorities held in Malé on 24 September 2012 had recommended the convening of the Core Group of Immigration and Visa Experts to consider including new categories of persons.

On the recommendation of the Fifth Meeting of Immigration Authorities, a Meeting of Experts is to convene at the Secretariat immediately following the Core Group’s meeting, to consider the establishment of the SAARC Immigration Liaison Network, a proposal mooted by the Maldives.

H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) addressed the Special Meeting on Non-tariff Measures (NTMs) and Para-tariff Measures (PTMs) convened at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu today.

The Special Meeting brought together representatives of all the Member States of SAARC to discuss measures to dismantle all barriers to trade under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Agreement. Office bearers of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) were also present at the meeting.

Addressing the opening of the Special Meeting at the Secretariat, the Secretary-General said, “I am glad to note that the Seventh Meeting of the SAFTA Committee of Experts (COE) held in Islamabad after the Seventeenth SAARC Summit, while considering matters relating to NTBs and PTBs, recommended that it would be necessary to hold a Special Meeting of the SAFTA COE on NTMs and PTMs. This meeting, I hope, will effectively address the objectives and concerns of the SAARC Leaders with regard to non-tariff and para-tariff barriers.”

The Special Meeting takes place in the lead up to the next meeting of the SAFTA Ministerial Council scheduled for 23 August 2013 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Council comprising Commerce Ministers of SAARC Member States is the highest decision-making body of SAFTA and is responsible for its administration and implementation. The SAFTA Agreement signed on 6 January 2004 came into force with effect from 1 January 2006.

At the Seventeenth SAARC Summit held in the Maldives in November 2011, SAARC Leaders had directed the SAFTA Ministerial Council to intensify efforts to fully and effectively implement SAFTA through early resolution of non-tariff barriers.

The Special Meeting was preceded by a Session of the Working Group on Reduction of Sensitive Lists under SAFTA at the SAARC Secretariat on 30 July 2013. 

H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) addressed the Special Meeting on Non-tariff Measures (NTMs) and Para-tariff Measures (PTMs) convened at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu today.

The Special Meeting brought together representatives of all the Member States of SAARC to discuss measures to dismantle all barriers to trade under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Agreement. Office bearers of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) were also present at the meeting.

Addressing the opening of the Special Meeting at the Secretariat, the Secretary-General said, “I am glad to note that the Seventh Meeting of the SAFTA Committee of Experts (COE) held in Islamabad after the Seventeenth SAARC Summit, while considering matters relating to NTBs and PTBs, recommended that it would be necessary to hold a Special Meeting of the SAFTA COE on NTMs and PTMs. This meeting, I hope, will effectively address the objectives and concerns of the SAARC Leaders with regard to non-tariff and para-tariff barriers.”

The Special Meeting takes place in the lead up to the next meeting of the SAFTA Ministerial Council scheduled for 23 August 2013 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Council comprising Finance Ministers of SAARC Member States is the highest decision-making body of SAFTA and is responsible for its administration and implementation. The SAFTA Agreement signed on 6 January 2004 came into force with effect from 1 January 2006.

At the Seventeenth SAARC Summit held in the Maldives in November 2011, SAARC Leaders had directed the SAFTA Ministerial Council to intensify efforts to fully and effectively implement SAFTA through early resolution of non-tariff barriers.

The Special Meeting was preceded by a Session of the Working Group on Reduction of Sensitive Lists under SAFTA at the SAARC Secretariat on 30 July 2013.

H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) called on H. E. Mr. Arjun Bahadur Thapa, the newly appointed Foreign Secretary of Nepal at the latter’s office today.

During the call-on, the Secretary-General felicitated H. E. Mr. Thapa on his elevation to the position of Foreign Secretary with effect from 22 July 2013. Prior to this appointment, H. E. Mr. Thapa was Joint Secretary dealing with SAARC and the Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry.

The Secretary-General also congratulated H. E. Mr. Thapa on joining the distinguished fraternity of the SAARC Standing Committee by virtue of this appointment. The Standing Committee comprises Foreign Secretaries of the eight Member States and is an important policy-making body of the Association.

During the meeting, the Secretary-General briefed the Foreign Secretary on the current status of regional cooperation. The Secretary-General sought the support of Nepal in convening the inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers, which has been postponed for several times as the dates announced by the Maldives, as the current Chair, were found inconvenient to one or the other Member State.  He also expressed the confidence that the convening of the inter-Summit Session of the Council will also pave the way for the Eighteenth SAARC Summit to be hosted by Nepal in the near future.

Concluding his remarks, the Secretary-General thanked the Government of Nepal for hosting the SAARC Secretariat and extending all possible support and cooperation to facilitate its smooth functioning.

Welcoming the gesture of the Secretary-General, the Foreign Secretary thanked the Secretary-General for his warm sentiments on his appointment. He also thanked the Secretary-General for his exemplary leadership in guiding the affairs of SAARC and its Secretariat. He reciprocated the Secretary-General’s concerns on the need to convene early the inter-Summit Session of the Council to clear the backlog of work resulting out of its frequent postponements. As a founding member of SAARC and the host of the SAARC Secretariat, Nepal is committed to extend support not only to the Secretariat but to the SAARC process as a whole, the Foreign Secretary asserted. 

Mr. Ibrahim Zuhuree, Director, SAARC Secretariat was also present at the meeting.