The SAARC cultural ministers Thursday adopted the Delhi resolution as a roadmap to foster ties in the region for the 2014-17 period to preserve and promote cultural institutions among the eight-member group.
One of the main outcomes of the SAARC ministerial meeting was to declare 2016-17 as the "SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage" and Bamiyan town in Afghanistan as the "SAARC Cultural Capital" for 2015-16.
"SAARC year of cultural heritage will not only bring significant focus to the implementation of the SAARC agenda for culture but will also enable efforts to strengthen cultural institutions in member states and give centrality to culture diplomacy," Culture Minister Sripad Yesso Naik Thursday said at the third SAARC meeting of cultural ministers here.
"This can be done by building technical assistance programmes in areas of mutual strength to enhance capacities through development of infrastructure and honing of professional skills," the minister said.
India hosted the third meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) cultural ministers' meet after a gap of eight years that concluded Thursday. But the festivities will continue till Sep 28.
"An Afghanistan minister has assured us that adequate security arrangements will be made during the inaugural ceremony which will take place in April 2015," Joint Secretary (culture) V. Srinivas said.
Also Read
Besides, the members also agreed to have a SAARC Heritage Committee to preserve and conserve heritage sites not protected by the Unesco.
"We will be seeking nominations from all institutions and a roadmap will be drawn in coming days regarding the committee," said Srinivas.
He also talked about the "Cricket Council Exhibition" and said that some of the members like Afghanistan and Bangladesh were extremely keen to have an exchange like this.
"Afghanistan has agreed to be a part of this exhibition. A minister informed us that cricket is a popular sport in the country," said Srinivas.
"The exhibition will be organised in association of the ministry of sports with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India)," he said.
"The BCCI has agreed to send the under-19 team for these matches and Afghanistan has agreed to host the first match in January," he added.
The SAARC members are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.