SAARC meeting on strengthening anti-terror mechanism begins in Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 9 (ANI): A meeting of high-level group of eminent experts from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries to strengthen the anti-terror mechanism got underway here on Thursday.

Delegates from Bhutan, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the SAARC Secretariat are attending the two-day meeting. The Indian delegation was led by Director, Intelligence Bureau, Nehchal Sandhu.

Issues relating to further improving the functioning of SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk (STOMD) and the SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD) based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, review of the enabling legislation enacted by the Member States on SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and its Additional Protocol as well as the SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and to further enhance the implementation process of these Conventions by the Member States are being discussed at this meeting.

The meeting is considered the SAARC Convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters as well.

Exchange of information among the member states on a real time basis for better coordination to counter terrorism and drug related activities, developing cooperation, capacity and relationship building among the SAARC police authorities were identified, among others, as possible methods of strengthening the SAARC anti-terrorism mechanism. (ANI)