SAARC foreign ministers fail to recommend energy cooperation deal

SAARC foreign ministers have not been able to recommend the signing of an energy cooperation deal despite their marathon meeting stretching the schedule.

A source in the meeting told bdnews24.com that the meeting ended at 11.30pm without any decision.

He, however, was unwilling to rule out a breakthrough with “many things happening behind the scenes”.

“It’s not sure what will be signed during the summit, though we have a slot after 12.30pm,” he said.

The summit begins at about 9.30am Wednesday with current chair Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom declaring it open.

Earlier, on Tuesday evening, Bangladesh foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali told the country’s journalists that the Council Of Ministers stretched their meeting beyond schedule to get at least one deal signed during the much-hyped summit.

This was an unprecedented event in the SAARC foreign ministers-level parleys in which the meeting was adjourned after deliberating on all things on the agenda.

They met again after official dinner.

“We are trying to get the energy cooperation deal signed,” the minister said.

Ali, however, ruled out any chance of signing the two other deals on road and railway connectivity during the summit.

Though he did not name the country blocking the pacts, it was well established in Kathmandu that Pakistan was unwilling to sign them.

Bangladesh was pushing for the SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity) as it would help the power-starved country.