(a) whether India has decided to withdraw from the 13th SAARC Summit to be held in Dhaka; and
(b) if so, the details and the reasons therefor?
(a) whether India has decided to withdraw from the 13th SAARC Summit to be held in Dhaka; and
(b) if so, the details and the reasons therefor?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)
(a) & (b) India formally communicated to the Government of Bangladesh that it would not be able to attend the SAARC Summit in Dhaka on the scheduled dates of 6-7 February, 2005. This decision was taken against the background of recent developments in our neighbourhood, which had caused us grave concern, as well as the deterioration in the security situation in Dhaka following the fatal attack on the former Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. S.A.M.S. Kibria. In our assessment, it is only in an environment free from political turmoil and violence that a Summit would yield the desired outcome.