NEW DELHI: India said on Saturday it was difficult to proceed with theSouth Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) initiative undercurrent circumstances due Pakistan.

The issue of organising the SAARC Summitlink> came up for discussionduring a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalesecounterpart K P Sharma Oli, who is in India on a three-day visit.

“The prime minister (Modi) mentioned that he very enthusiasticallyparticipated in the Kathmandu (SAARC) summit, but given the current stateof play where there is cross-border terrorism – and this is a disruptiveforce in the region. It is difficult in such circumstances to proceed withsuch initiatives,” foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters.

SAARC Summits are usually held biennially hosted by a member state inalphabetical order. The member state hosting the summit assumes the Chairof the Association.

The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended byModi.

The 2016 SAARC Summit was to be held in Islamabad.