KATHMANDU, Sept. 7,Reuter: The South Asian “Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) might consider an application for membership by Afghanistan after Soviet troops withdrew from that country, sources close to the SAARC Secretariat said on Monday.
The SAARC Secretariat here I declined official comment on the issue, but the sources noted that founding declaration of the two year old group says: “The association is open to all states in the South Asian Region…” but does not specify whether this would include Afghanistan.
Bangladesh officials last week declined to meet an Afghan delegation which visited Dhaka to seek support for Afghan membership of SAARC and the Islamic ‘Conference Organization.
Bangladesh openly opposes Afghan membership of SAARC and Nepalese Foreign Ministry sources said on Monday: “Nepal would not support Afghanistan’s candidacy in the existing situation”.
Admission of new members must be unanimously approved by the heads of state of the existing members — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The issue is not considered likely to arise at the SAARC summit scheduled for Kathmandu in early November.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 11, 1987
