(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan wants peace and stability in the South Asia region.
In a statement before departure for Kathmandu on Tuesday, the prime minister said, "We want to transform Saarc into a strong trade and economic bloc on the pattern of European Union."
This, he said, is possible only in an environment of peace and economic cooperation.
Sharif left for Nepal's capital Kathmandu to participate in two-day Saarc Summit starting on Wednesday. The theme of the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit is "Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity".
On the sidelines of the event, the prime minister will meet other leaders of Saarc countries to discuss issues of bilateral and regional interest.
A delegation will also accompany the prime minister to the Summit.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has expressed hope that the good relations with India would soon be normalised and the 18th Saarc summit may facilitate reducing existing tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) organisation comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Stating peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan was necessary for prevalence of peace in the whole region, the minister said without stopping foreign interference in Afghanistan there could be no peace, a private TV channel reported on Tuesday.
He also said Pakistan was hopeful that good relations with India would be restored soon.
Stating that the situation has turned bad because of a super power, the minister said the problems of the region should be dealt within the region. He blamed the current situation of the region on the failed foreign policy of the US, saying that Daish (the Arabic name for the ISIS) was created to fight against the Syrian government and now the region was suffering because of America's failed foreign policy.
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