South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Center for Integrated Rural Development for Asia Pacific (CIRDAP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster collaboration between the two organizations on the basis of mutually agreed areas.

According to a press release issued by SAARC Secretariat, the MoU was signed by SAAR Secretary General Arjun Bahadur Thapa and CIRDAP Director General Dr. Cecep Effendi at SAARC Secretariat.

The MoU is open vista for both the organizations to complement each other’s efforts in rural development and joint projects. The areas of cooperation outlined in the MoU include rural development and women empowerment through agro processing, promoting  inter regional trade in agriculture products, adopting techniques of climate smart agriculture, generating rural friendly data base on rural statistics, establishing  a virtual and multi-stake holder supported Rural Development information system and others.

Establish in 1979 in Dhaka to its membership in national action and promotion of regional cooperation and act as a serving institution for the promotion of integrated rural development in the Asia Pacific Region.