The 37th SAARC council of Minister meeting took place at Nepal on Thursday. And India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived to attend the council meeting on Wednesday on Mi17 chopper from Gorkhpur, Uttar Pradesh. In the three day visit to Nepal during the ministerial meeting External Minister will push ahead India’s “neighbourhood first” policy and review the progress of decision taken by the grouping last year.
The 37th SAARC Council of Ministers meeting will take place on Thursday after which she will also hold bilateral talks with her counterparts from several countries. The Minister is likely to raise the issue of the Pathankot attack and nudge Pakistan to take concrete action. Another key meeting of her will be with the Nepali leadership.
During his meeting with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, Nepali Prime Minister K P Oli had said Nepal’s “internal problem” will be resolved soon as talks with the agitating Madhesi parties were heading towards a “positive direction”.
SAARC member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.