In which year was the 'SAARC' (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) organization founded?

'The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation' (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC comprises 3% of the world's area, 21% of the world's population and 4.21% (US$3.67 trillion) of the global economy, as of 2019.

'SAARC' was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985. Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The organization promotes development of economic and regional integration. It launched the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006. 'SAARC' maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nations as an observer and has developed links with multilateral entities, including the European Union.