New Delhi: The Nepal government will on Saturday take a call on the fate of the SAARC summit after Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan joined India on Wednesday in refusing to attend the meet in Pakistan, citing a non-conducive “environment”.
Nepal, which holds the SAARC chair, has not yet taken an official stand on the boycott of the summit by four of its eight member nations. It is expected to do so on Saturday when its foreign minister and foreign secretary return from the UN general assembly consultations in New York.
Radio Pakistan quoted Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria as terming India’s decision to give the summit a miss as “unfortunate”. "While we have not received any official communication in this regard, the Indian announcement is unfortunate," he said.
"The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016," the communication by Bangladesh said.
"Bangladesh, as the initiator of the SAARC process, remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere. In view of the above, Bangladesh is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad," it said, without naming Pakistan.
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Further, the Royal Government of Bhutan shares the concerns of some of the member countries of SAARC on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism and joins them in conveying our inability to participate in the SAARC Summit, under the current circumstances."
Afghanistan has also conveyed to Nepal that President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani would not be able to attend the Summit. "Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan", President Ghani "with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit", a communication by the country said.
(With agency inputs)
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