Bhutan joined the SAARC
with six other South Asian Nations, namely Bangladesh, India,
Maldives, 
Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the year 1983. The SAARC was established,
in 1983, by the seven South Asian Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This regional
organization was formed as a non-political forum to create economic
cooperation among its members. The SAARC operates mainly through
technical committees, as it's charter does not permit it to address
bilateral and contentious issues in the region. Therefore, it
is an economically oriented organization rather than one that
engages in the political activities of South Asia.
Bhutan, apart from the economic forum benefits, has also been able to use the SAARC conferences as a means of informally meeting the leaders of its neighbours and exchanging of "views on issues of mutual concern, including bilateral problems which may not be expedient for discussion in other venues", as quoted by His Majesty the King. The King attended the SAARC Summits until 1998, when the chairman of the Council of Ministers, the new head of Government represented Bhutan at the Summit.
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