SAARC, which stands for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, came into existence on December 8, 1985. The event took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Originally, seven countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—were part of this association. Later on, Afghanistan became the eighth member in 2007. The organization set up its secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal back in 1987.