Saarc Secretary General Amjad Hussian B Sial, British Ambassador Richard Morris and French Ambassador Yves Carmona paid separate courtesy calls on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and talked about wide-ranging issues on Monday.

Secretary General Sial congratulated the prime minister on assuming the high office and appreciated Nepal’s roles as a founder member of the regional bloc, host of the secretariat and the current chair of the Saarc.

According to a statement issued by the Saarc Secretariat, Sial informed the prime minister about the measures being taken to strengthen the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Congratulating the secretary general on his new assignment, Prime Minister Deuba expressed his hope that the former will be able to perform his responsibilities well for the benefit of the region. Deuba also hoped that the 19th Saarc Summit will be held soon in Pakistan.

In his meeting with the French ambassador, PM Deuba congratulated newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron. He also recalled the age-old friendship between the two countries and thanked France for its support after the earthquakes of 2015, the French Embassy stated.