Analysts said SAARC could barely gain ground as long as the suspicion among its members prevailed. The countries in the region have to make every effort to consolidate political stability, leaving the SAARC irrelevant in a sense.

Talking to Xinhua on Wednesday, a Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry official, on condition of anonymity, said that people should not expect much from SAARC Summit.

"Although little progress has been made in terms of implementation, each SAARC summit witnesses a step forward," he said, adding that the transformation of SAARC was under way.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2008)