Nov 19, Kandy: The thirty-fourth Session of the SAARC Programming Committee commenced today at Hotel Earl's Regency in the central hill country of Kandy.

Delegates from the eight Member States of SAARC, the SAARC Secretary-General H.E. Dr Sheel Kant Sharma, officials of the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu and Directors of SAARC Regional Centres are participating in the two-day meeting, the Foreign Ministry said today.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Prasad Kariyawasam who is chairing the meeting welcomed the delegates and guests to Kandy.

Senior officials from the ministries of foreign and external affairs of the SAARC member states are meeting for the first time since the 15th SAARC summit held in Colombo in August.

The two-day Meeting will deliberate on implementation of decisions taken by the Heads of State and Government of SAARC at the 15th Summit in Colombo, the SAARC Work Plan/Calendar for the coming year, and a range of other issues including measures for prioritization and rationalization of the work of SAARC Technical Committees, Working Groups and Regional Centres and related Inter-Governmental Meetings, the Foreign Ministry said.

Governor of the Central Province Hon. Tikiri Kobekkaduwa, dignitaries from Kandy, Heads of Government Departments, and Professors and Deans of various Faculties of the University of Peradeniya attended the inauguration ceremony of the meeting.