Press Release
At the invitation of the Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Royal Government of Bhutan participated in the Eight Meetings of the SAARC Finance Ministers and Secretaries in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Finance Ministers’ Meeting was held on 26th August 2016 preceded by the Finance Secretaries’ Meeting on 25th August 2016.
The main objective of the SAARC Finance Ministers was to review the processes towards establishment of the South Asian Economic Union (SAEU).
In this regards, the Islamabad Meeting reviewed the status on economic and financial cooperation including investment, progress in customs cooperation, regional economic integration and SAARCFINANCE. The Meeting also assessed the overall performance economic outlook of each Member State and discussed opportunities/challenges for South Asia.
As the SAARC Finance Ministers in their capacity as the Governing Council of SDF, discussed measures to strengthen SDF and expedite the operationalization of Economic and Infrastructure Windows.
SAARC Finance Ministers normally meet once a year. The Ministers also meet in informal settings on the sidelines of annual meetings of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Bi-lateral Meetings between Member States are also organized, when requested.
His Excellency Lyonpo Namgay Dorji, Finance Minister led the Bhutanese delegation to the Eight Meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers. The delegation comprised of senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The next SAARC Finance Ministers’ Meeting is scheduled in Afghanistan.
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