The Sixth Saarc Business Leaders Conclave, which will bring together leading South Asian industrialists and entrepreneurs, will be held in Nepal from March 16-18. The event was originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan. But due to various reasons the programme could not be held in the country, according to Suraj Vaidya, president of the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the organiser of the event.

The three-day event, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, will discuss measures that could be taken to make South Asia prosperous, promote trade and investment in the region, resolve economic and political issues in South Asia, and deepen cooperation in energy and cooperative sectors. 

The event will also hold 12 panel discussions on various topics. A total of 50 reputed speakers will present papers during these sessions. 

The closing session of the event will also bring together commerce ministers of Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member countries. The event is expected to be attended by around 200 dignitaries.

This is the second time Nepal is hosting the conclave. Nepal had last organised this event in 2011.

“One of the issues that Nepal must raise during the meeting is cross-border movement of vehicles in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. This would help us to promote trade between the three countries,” said Vaidya.