The preparations for the 16th SAARC summit are underway in earnest with various royal government agencies spearheading the work gearing towards a March end completion.
In all about 450 delegates are expected to attend the summit, including a media contingent of approximately 150 which will converge into the capital from the airport in Paro as well as by road from Phuentsholing.
In addition, 86 editors and journalists from South Asia have already confirmed their participation in the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) summit which is customarily held in the host country parallel to the SAARC summit.
Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering reported to the prime minister yesterday at a meeting held to take stock of the preparatory progress so far that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is confident all physical works and services will soon be in place.
The pre-summit meetings will commence from the third week of April at the Royal Banquet Hall while the summit, on April 28-29, will be held in the National Assembly hall. The retreat for the SAARC leaders will be hosted at hotel Terma Linka in Babesa.
Thimphu will receive a major facelift with gates, flags and banners planted all over the places. A massive clean-up campaign of the town and the river bank will begin shortly involving Thimphu’s residents. The facades and rooftops of the buildings falling along the route of the dignitaries will all be done up.
The road between Thimphu and Paro will be improved for safety while hundreds of school children and other residents waving the flags of SAARC and member countries will receive the dignitaries along the way.
The heads of states and governments, foreign ministers and foreign secretaries will be housed at the Ministers’ Enclave in Motithang, the major facelift works of which are expected to be complete by March 31.
The rest of the dignitaries will be accommodated in 188 rooms in 10 hotels that have already been booked. The possibilities of keeping journalists in Paro are being looked into if Thimphu runs out of hotel rooms.
An elaborate security arrangement is being made besides entertainments showcasing Bhutanese culture.
Minutest details are being looked into, from food, traffic movements, control rooms, media centers, gifts and helicopters for emergency medical requirements to docking space at Paro airport for aircrafts that the leaders will fly in.
In all 14 sub-committees have been formed to carry out the preparations.
“I have no doubt you are doing your best; our success will be determined from day one,” The prime minister told the meeting. “It’s the mood that we will create that will determine the outcome of the summit.”
The summit will also be attended by observers from China, Japan, European Union, Republic of Korea, USA, Australia, Myanmar, Mauritius and Iran.
Kezang Dorji in THIMPHU
Why students lined up along the highway to wave flags? Is it necessary? Wont it be better if students attend their regular classes? I wont send my son to wave flags.
Good news is Bhutan is not going to dump stray dogs and beggars out of the town which has been usual practice in rest of the SAARC countries…….