Tehran, April 28: Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki left Tehran on Wednesday morning to attend the 16th SAARC Summit in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu.
Mottaki is expected to hold talks with his counterparts on the sidelines of the two-day international gathering, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. In terms of population, its sphere of influence is the largest of any regional organization: almost 1.5 billion people, the combined population of its member states.
It was established on December 8, 1985 by Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. In April 2007, at the association’s 14th summit, Afghanistan became its eighth member.
Iran has traditionally enjoyed strong cultural, economic, and political relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan, two SAARC members on its borders, and has expressed its desire to become a member of the South Asian organization.
On February 22, 2005, former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi indicated Iran’s interest in joining SAARC, saying Tehran could provide the region with East-West connectivity.
On March 3, 2007, Iran asked to join SAARC as an observer.
SAARC Secretary General Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji responded by saying that Iran’s request for observer status would be taken up during a meeting of ministers of foreign affairs of SAARC member countries at the April 3, 2007 summit in New Delhi.
Iran received observer status in SAARC in 2008.
——–Agencies