Sri Lanka to host South Asia economic summit on Aug 28

Aug 22, 2008 (LBO) - Sri Lanka will host a South Asian Economic Summit (SAEA) from August 28, where civil society, academics, private sector and state representatives can debate economic issues, a Colombo-based think thank said. Former Nepalese finance and foreign minister Bekh Thapa, former Bangladeshi foreign minister Kamal Hossain, former SAARC secretary generals Ibrahim Zaki of Maldives and Nihal Rodrigo of Sri Lanka will also participate.

Macky Hashim, former president of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Jayanta Roy, the principal advisor for the Confederation of Indian Industry will participate and chair sessions.

The president of the Maldives’ National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Maizan Omar Manik is also a resources person.

Sri Lanka’s Institute of Policy Studies, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) New Delhi, South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (Nepal), Centre for Policy Dialogue (Bangladesh), Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Tribhuvan University (Nepal), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Sikkim University (India) and the University of Moratuwa will be in the sessions.

The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, and the U