SAARC Fn Secs. approve agenda of Programming Committee

New Delhi, Apr 01 (UNI) The SAARC Standing Committee of Foreign Secretaries today approved the agenda of the Programming Committee to be presented at the Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow and 'almost' finalised the text of an inter-governmental agreement on establishing a 'world class' South Asian university.

The two-day 33rd Standing Committee meeting which concluded here today, also stressed the importance of operationalising the SAARC Development Fund (SDF) ''as soon as possible,'' specially its social window, to remove poverty in SAARC countries.

They Foreign Secretaries also said strong measures be taken against terrorism and see what further action could be taken.

Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, while briefing reporters onthe two-day deliberations, said India quadrupled the contribution to Rs 100 million for SAARC activities.

Other member countries also pledged to increase their contribution, the Foreign Secretary said.

He, however, did not go into the details saying the fight against terrorism was an ongoing process and the issue would be discussed at the Foreign Ministers' meeting tomorrow as well as at the Summit on April 3-4.

UNI