Dhaka: The government of the Maldives has urged the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to create an environment conducive to holding the 19th SAARC Summit.

The appeal by the Maldives follows the decisions by some of the SAARC members who have expressed their inability to attend the Summit scheduled for November due to terrorism, and threats to regional and international peace.

The Maldives condemned international terrorism, especially those originating from outside, said its foreign ministry in a media release.

‘SAARC Summit can be convened only with the participation of heads of state or governments of all of its member states,’ it said.

The Maldives encouraged states to provide a valuable opportunity for the leaders to discuss critical issues facing the region and expressed the hope that the required measures will be taken by relevant member states to convene the Summit at an early date.

The 19th SAARC Summit was scheduled to be held from 9 to 10 November 2016 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

However, Pakistan on Friday officially postponed it saying a new set of dates will be announced soon through current SAARC chair Nepal.

SAARC was founded in 1985 and its members are Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The last SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014. In 2011, the Maldives hosted the 17th SAARC Summit.