Pakistan’s bid to host the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit has failed yet again as it failed to achieve consensus for it in the south Asian region.
Maldives at the SAARC informal foreign ministers meet on Thursday clearly told Pakistan that amidst the COVID-19 crisis, it is not “appropriate time to discuss the summit.”
Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid speaking at the virtual meet said, “The Maldives remains steadfast in its commitment towards regional cooperation. Taking a cue from our Leaders Meeting in March 2020, the Maldives calls for the creation of a conducive environment to reach consensus on the convening of the 19th SAARC summit.”
He further explained it saying, “At this point in time, we are preoccupied with dealing with COVID-19 pandemic and do not think it’s the appropriate time to discuss the time of the…