Kathmandu: Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian delegation at a conference of Home and Interior Ministers of SAARC countries to be held in Kathmandu on September 19 where terrorism, piracy, trafficking of drugs and women and children will top the agenda. Singh is expected to flag issues like cross-border terrorism and dismantling of terror infrastructure operating from some SAARC nations in the conference to be inaugurated by Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.
Maritime security, combating corruption and cyber crimes will also be discussed threadbare at the 6th ministerial-level and official-level meetings of the law enforcement authorities of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, according to Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, Home Ministry spokesperson of Nepal. Other issues to be discussed at the conference, include mutual assistance in criminal matters, trafficking in women and children and promotion of child welfare in South Asia.
Among the SAARC leaders, Pakistani Home Minister Chaudhry Nisar has not yet confirmed his participation in the meeting, Nepal’s Home Ministry spokesperson said. Before the ministerial-level meeting, immigration authorities of all SAARC nations will meet tomorrow and Secretaries of Interior/Home will meet on September 18. The meeting has been taking place regularly since 2006 with a focus on the enforcement of the commitments made in the SAARC summits. (PTI)