KATHMANDU, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Experts and parliamentarians from South Asian countries gathered on Thursday in Kathmandu to join a two-day regional conference on the effectiveness of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Addressing the conference, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal lamented over the slow pace of the SAARC.
"SAARC's process has been very slow over the years. Several agreements have been made in the past and I would say it is a time for SAARC member states to go for implementation of those agreements," the prime minister said.
The SAARC has not been able to make significant progress compared with other regional blocks around the world, he added.
Stressing the importance of enhanced connectivity and deeper economic integration for better peace, stability and prosperity in the region, Dahal said the SAARC member states should make collective efforts to overcome challenges such as poverty and underdevelopment.
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