Visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday met Nepal's Maoist chief Prachanda and discussed with him measures to improve bilateral ties as well as ways to revitalise the eight-member SAARC grouping.
Abbasi met CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson 'Prachanda' in the capital and the two leaders discussed relations between Nepal and Pakistan, Nepalese media reported.
After the meeting, Prachanda said that matters related to bilateral relations and mutual interests were discussed in the meeting.
During the 45-minute meeting, they also discussed measures to improve bilateral trade and economic relations, Republica newspaper reported.
Prachanda said the meeting also stressed the need of initiative from all member-states to revitalise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The 19th SAARC Summit, which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November 2016, was cancelled after India announced to boycott the meeting citing Pakistan's involvement in the Uri terror attack. Three other SAARC members joined India, resulting in the cancellation of the summit.
Abbasi also paid a courtesy call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and addressed a programme organised by the SAARC Secretariat.
During a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Amjad B. Sial, Abbasi said SAARC was an important forum which required serious and sincere efforts by member countries to explore its true potential.
Pakistan was committed to playing a constructive role in SAARC, the prime minister said.
Sial, who belongs to Pakistan's Foreign Service and was appointed secretary general of SAARC in 2017, briefed the Abbasi on the activities of the organisation.
SAARC member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri lanka.
Abbasi on Monday met his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli here and discussed bilateral ties besides ways to revive the SAARC process.