18th Saarc Summit concludes with 36-point Kathmandu Declaration Letter

The concluding ceremony started shortly after the heads of state and government of Saarc member countries returned from Dhulikhel retreat. The leaders from the Saarc member nations had gone to the Dwarikas Resort in Kavre district for a retreat earlier this morning. All the VVIPs, except Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were flown by Nepal Army helicopters. Modi flew on an Indian Air Force helicopter which he brought with himself in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, Indian PM Modi and Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif shook hands at the closing moments of the Saarc conclusion ceremony in the podium at City Hall. Also, ministers of the Saarc member states signed the agreements on energy cooperation along the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the regional summit. Speaking at the closing ceremony, Nepali Prime Minister Sushil Koirala announced that the next Saarc Summit would be held in Islamabad after two years.ekantipur reporter