10th South Asia Economic Summit begins today in Kathmandu

The 10th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) will begin today in Kathmandu. The theme of 3-day summit is "Deepening Economic Integration for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in South Asia". 

The summit is being organised by National Planning Commission and Ministry of Commerce of Nepal and South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment, Nepal. 

Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission of Nepal Dr. Swarnim Wagle told media persons that thrust of the summit will be on development of South Asia. 

He said, 200 participants including ministers, members of parliament, former MPs, ambassadors, government officials, researchers, eminent experts and thinkers will attend the summit.

South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) was started in 2008. It is a regional platform for discussing and analyzing economic and development issues and challenges faced



by South Asian countries and advancing the cause of regional integration and cooperation. 

Envisaged as a Davos-like event in South Asia, the SAES brings together stakeholders from the government, private sector, research/academic community and civil society to generate innovative and actionable ideas for consideration by the region’s policymakers and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). 

The whole process is led by a group of five eminent think tanks that take turns to organize the annual event in one of the SAARC countries.The think tanks are Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh; Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India; South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal; Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan and Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Sri Lanka.