Dhaka, Nov 10 (BDNEWS) – The 13th SAARC summit kicks off with the national anthem of Bangladesh at 11:30 am Saturday at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC).
After photo opportunity and recitation from the holy Quran, outgoing Chairperson of SAARC and Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will declare the summit open.
Then the agenda for the summit will be adopted.
Before the welcome address of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia who will take the chair of the association, Shaukat Aziz will announce the SAARC Award 2004.
Late President Ziaur Rahman who had dreamt of the SAARC will be given the award posthumously. His elder son Tarique Rahman will receive the award from outgoing chairperson, Shaukat Aziz.
After Khaleda Zia is elected the new Chairperson of SAARC, the South Asian leaders will address the summit.
Alphabetically, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup will be the first to address. He will be followed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, King Gyanendra of Nepal, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratnuga.
SAARC Secretary General Chopgival Dorjee will also address the opening ceremony before Prime Minister Khaleda Zia announces adjournment of the session, which will last for two hours and forty minutes.
Khaleda Zia will host a banquet for the visiting heads of the governments and states at the BCFCC in the evening of the opening day.
The next morning (Sunday), the VVIPs will take part in a retreat at the state guesthouse Jamuna where several agreements are expected to be signed in their presence.
Later in the afternoon, the SAARC leaders will jointly call on President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban.
The concluding session of the summit will be held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) at the Prime Minister's Office, where the declaration of the 13th SAARC summit will be adopted.
New SAARC Chairperson and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will chair the one-hour session from 4 pm.
The summit leaders in the meet will also adopt the reports of the 25th and 26th sessions of the Council of Ministers.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will give the vote of thanks.
The SAARC leaders are expected to leave the capital on November 14 (Monday).
BDNEWS/1644 hrs.
