PM to inaugurate SAARC Speakers' &Parliamentarians conference

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate conference of Speakers and parliamentarians of SAARC countries in New Delhi on Saturday.The fifth conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians will be held in New Delhi from 9th to 12th July.This is the second time that the event is being held in the country.
Nearly 130 delegates, observers from the eight SAARC countries, will be attending the four day Conference. Afghanistan, which became the eighth member of SAARC in 2007, will be formally joining the Conference for the first time.
The Conference will deliberate upon two themes -- "Consolidating Democracy: Strengthening Trust between Parliament and the People" and "Sustainable Development in SAARC Countries- The Way Forward", Speaker Meira Kumar said.Addressing a press conference, Kumar said Speakers of national Parliaments of all the eight SAARC member-states would address the inaugural session.Earlier, the conferences had been held in Delhi, Islamabad, Dhaka and Colombo.The delegates from SAARC countries are scheduled to visit Jaipur and Ajmer on Monday.