During a meeting with Bangladesh journalists, Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali announced that they would reconvene after an official dinner, marking an unprecedented event in SAARC foreign ministers-level discussions. The focus was on signing an energy cooperation deal, despite Pakistan's reluctance to sign road and railway connectivity agreements. The signing would symbolize a commitment to connectivity, although past promises like implementing a South Asian free trade regime have not been fulfilled. The upcoming summit, themed 'Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity', will be closely monitored, especially after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed a desire to strengthen relations with SAARC countries. Bangladesh emphasized the need for timely implementation of regional projects during the meeting, which also covered various other topics such as poverty reduction, climate change, and combating terrorism. The ministers discussed launching new initiatives and reports, as well as making the SAARC food bank operational without a threshold limit for members. Additionally, they highlighted the importance of the South Asian University in New Delhi and recognized the South Asian Women Development Forum as a SAARC body. The meeting concluded with a decision to continue the moratorium on accepting new SAARC observers.