Paro (Bhutan) : Cooperation among countries can help transform South Asia from an energy constraint to an energy surplus region, Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley has said.

Shared vision and collaborative efforts at public and the private sector level can mitigate the impact of climate change and cooperation in energy, and can help South Asia in its transformation from an energy constraint to energy surplus region, Thinley said while inaugurating a conference here Sunday.

The two-day conference on climate change and energy cooperation in South Asia is being organised by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) led the Indian participation at the event. The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry is headed by India s Vikramjit Singh Sahney, who is also a member of FICCI. While addressing the event, Sahney stressed on the need for collaborated efforts to devise mechanisms to tackle the adverse effects of natural calamities due to climate change.

Sahney suggested creation of a SAARC climate change fund to finance projects related to climate and environment protection in the country, according to a statement released by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) includes India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.