Sunday, April 24 2005 15:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jakarta: India has said it was ready to accept any suitable date proposed by current Chairman Pakistan for the twice-postponed SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit if it was acceptable to the other five member states.

This was conveyed by External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh to his Bangladeshi counterpart Morshed Khan when he met him in Jakarta last night (Apr 23, 2005) on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit.

The issue of rescheduling the SAARC Summit was raised by Morshed, External Affairs Ministry spokesman said in Jakarta today (Apr 24).

The indications of India's willingness to attend the Summit assume significance as it comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with Nepal King Gyanendra in Jakarta yesterday.

India had earlier refused to attend the Summit in February citing "disturbing developments in the region", a reference to royal takeover in Nepal on February 1.

This had led to postponement of the Summit.

It is believed that India did not want the Prime Minister to share dais with the Monarch as he had seized power and imposed emergency in the Himalayan Kingdom.

Singh and Khan also discussed a gamut of bilateral issues, with the Indian Minister asserting the country's commitment for a sustained and constructive engagement with Bangladesh to resolve all outstanding issues.