Observer countries— in the Saarc summit for the first time—are making use of the forum to maximise bilateral ties. With China, Japan and the Republic of Korea being represented at the Foreign Minister level, there is an obvious scurry among member countries for bilateral meetings.

For example, India had the highest-level bilateral meetings with Bangladesh after the regime change during the meet. India also used a series of meetings, especially with smaller neighbours like Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Bangladesh, to further elucidate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s vision that India wants them to be stakeholders in the progress of the

region.

It was at the Saarc forum that Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, Fakhruddin Ahmed, met Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Lankan President Rajapakse.

Sources also pointed out “successful and cordial” meetings between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistan counterpart, Khurshid Mohammed Kasuri, on the sidelines of the Saarc council of minister’s meet.

Sri Lanka, for example made use of the forum for a greater amount of diplomacy with President Mahindra Rajapakse arriving in New Delhi on April 1, two days ahead of the summit. Sources said in the context of the escalated violence in the island nation, the President wanted to make maximum use of the summit, which has China, Japan, South Korea, European Union and the United States as observers.

Nepal Prime Minister G P Koirala also made use of the array of opportunity the summit offered to hold meetings. The Nepal Prime Minister himself admitted today that he was advised against traveling to India on medical grounds.

... contd.