Former Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey met Chinese Vice President Li Yuan Chao in Kunming last week. Former foreign minister Pandey was there to   take part in High-level plenary session of the China South Asia Peace and Development Forum in Kunming, China.

Former foreign minister Pandey also addressed the Forum. Addressing the forum he said that SAARC countries have been enjoying excellent relations with China. China has been an observer of the SAARC for the past several years. The conference was inaugurated by Chinese Vice-President Li Yuan Chao on Saturday.

Pandey said that SAARC member countries are expanding historic relations with China in various sectors, such as, trade, investment, tourism and so on.

Giving his speech at the high level plenary session, Chinese Vice-president Li said "over the decades, countries in South Asia have lost many development opportunities to territorial disputes, sectarian strife, and ethnical conflicts. Three decades of war in Afghanistan have made over 11 million people refugees, and the civil war of Sri Lanka displaced more than 700,000 people."