Regional seminar on Disaster Response and Humanitarian Assistance Operations organized by the Nepal Army (NA) started here on Tuesday.

Nepal Army chief Chhattraman Singh Gurung inaugurated the three- day regional seminar.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Gurung mentioned that the NA had been fulfilling the responsibility as the "first responder" during disasters and that cooperation and coordination between national and international agencies would be crucial in making disaster response more effective.

Senior army officials from the United States (observers) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, Nepali government's agencies including the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force and United Nations agencies are participating in the seminar.

The participants will mainly discuss on ways to deal with a major earthquake in Kathmandu and its aftermath.

Founded in 1985, the SAARC includes Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.