One of the important tasks before the Standing Committee and the Council of Ministers is to consider the observer status of the United States, South Korea and the European Union.

At the 13th Summit in Dhaka last November, the Saarc leaders agreed to accept Afghanistan as the 8th member of the regional forum and provide observer status to China and Japan.

For the first time, Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta will attend the Council of Ministers' meeting on August 1-2 on a special invitation while the Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister will attend the Standing Committee meeting on July 31-August 1.

The special session of the Saarc Standing Committee held in Dhaka last April prepared a set of guidelines on how observers are to associate with the Saarc. The guidelines will be put before the foreign ministers' meeting.

The Standing Committee comprising the foreign secretaries of the member states will approve the Saarc budget for 2007 at the meeting and review the activities of different technical committees and working groups under the regional forum.

The foreign secretaries will also provide guidelines for gearing up activities in commerce, finance, communication and energy sectors.

The Saarc foreign ministers will finalise a 10-year Vision Document containing sector-wise cooperation among the member states.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will inaugurate the 27th Saarc Council of Ministers' meeting on August 1.