During the inaugural session of the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Kathmandu, Nepal, representatives of the eight member countries of SAARC discussed new ways of strengthening regional cooperation.
Among other things, the leaders highlighted the benefits an enhanced regional collaboration in the use and development of space-based technology could have for sustainable development of the region.
Addressing this issue, India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced that India is planning to develop and launch a SAARC satellite by 2016. According to him, the satellite will benefit the region in areas ranging from disaster response and resource management to weather forecasting and communication.
