Csat

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC)

* * दक्षिण एशियाई क्षेत्रीय सहयोग संगठन (दक्षेस)

दक्षिण एशियाली क्षेत्रीय सहयोग संगठन (सार्क)

সাউথ এশিয়ান এসোসিয়েশন ফর রিজিওনাল কো-অপারেশন (সার্ক)

جنوبی ایشیائی علاقائی تعاون کی تنظیم

ދެކުނު އޭޝިޔާގެ ސަރަޙައްދީ އެއްބާރުލުމުގެ ޖަމިއްޔާ

தெற்காசிய நாடுகளின் பிராந்தியக் கூட்டமைப்பு (சார்க்) |

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Headquarters | Kathmandu, Nepal |

Official languages | English |

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 -  | Chairman | Mahinda Rajapaksa |

 -  | Secretary General | Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed |

Establishment | December 8, 1985 |

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GDP (PPP) | 2009 estimate |

 -  | Total | US$ 4,382,700 million (3rd1) |

 -  | Per capita | US$ 2,779  |

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Time zone | (UTC+4½ to +6) |

Website

www.saarc-sec.org |

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The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2005. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The 11 stated areas of cooperation are agriculture; education, culture, and sports; health, population, and child welfare; the environment and meteorology; rural development (including the SAARC Youth Volunteers Program); tourism; transport; science and technology; communications.

History

The concept of SAARC was first adopted by Bangladesh during 1977, under the administration of President Ziaur Rahman. In the late 1970s, SAARC nations agreed upon the creation of a trade bloc consisting of South Asian countries. The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was again mooted in May 1980. The...