Pak expected to raise issues of energy, poverty at SAARC meet

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Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is expected to highlight poverty alleviation, energy cooperation and development of better health facilities at the upcoming SAARC Summit to be held in the Maldives.

Gilani will lead the Pakistan delegation to the Summit to be held at Addu City during November 10-11, the Foreign Office said on Monday.

Besides lending unconditional support to regional initiatives, Gilani will hold meetings with leaders of other SAARC states to consolidate bilateral relations.

"During the Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to highlight important issues like matters relating to poverty alleviation, energy cooperation, interaction in agriculture and rural development, cooperation on promotion of welfare of women and children and development of better health facilities for the people of South Asia in his key address," the statement said.

The Summit will adopt a declaration titled ‘Building Bridges’ that will focus on issues ranging from physical connectivity in the region to trade as well as economic, financial and environmental cooperation.

In addition, the Secretariat of the SAARC Development Fund will be inaugurated during the meet.

"Pakistan attaches great importance to SAARC and has played a proactive role to make SAARC a model of regional cooperation by building economic synergies among the member states," the statement said.