Kamran Reza Chowdhury reports that the 16th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation will begin on Wednesday in Thimphu, Bhutan, marking the organization's 25th anniversary since its establishment in Dhaka in 1985. Leaders from Afghanistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan are scheduled to speak at the opening session, which will be chaired by Bhutan's Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley. In addition to the Thimphu declaration, the summit will focus on climate change. Critics argue that despite 25 years of existence, SAARC has not made significant progress in reducing poverty and improving the lives of the region's 1.5 billion people. The general belief in the member countries of SAARC is that it is a platform for annual meetings of top leaders where they make ambitious promises but struggle to follow through. Bhutanese foreign secretary Daw Penjo stated that the summit allows South Asian leaders to have direct discussions without the presence of media and bureaucrats, leading to improved relations. He mentioned that the upcoming 16th SAARC summit will establish a 25-year plan based on the desires of the region's people. Additionally, SAARC foreign ministers have completed drafts of two agreements - one on environmental cooperation and the other on trade in services - for approval at the summit. The Thimphu declaration and Thimphu statement on climate change, the main focus of the 16th summit, were prepared by the council of ministers and the standing committee. Member states will announce a joint SAARC position on climate change, but the declaration will not include specific targets for emission cuts. Bangladesh proposed the inclusion of a SAARC charter for democracy in the declaration to promote democracy in all eight countries, according to foreign secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes. All heads of states and governments, except Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, have arrived in Thimphu, a picturesque hilly city, for the summit. Singh is expected to arrive Wednesday morning, just before the summit begins at 2.30 pm. The summit will also include the official opening of the SAARC Development Fund headquarters in Thimphu.