SAARC summit begins

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Wednesday felt the urgency of ‘collective political will’ setting aside differences among the SAARC member states and ensure real progress of 1.7 billion South Asians.She urged the SAARC leaders to focus on undertaking more realistic and result-oriented partnership for cooperation to prosper together and to make a knowledge-based South Asia.Delivering her statement at the opening session of the 18th summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation at the magnificent City Hall in Kathmandu, Sheikh Hasina said that the eight-member forum needs to give urgent attention to some important areas to turn the SAARC into ‘People’s SAARC’.She sought deeper cooperation among the SAARC member countries in the fields of health, agriculture, food and climate change technologies for achieving faster development of the South Asian region.

In an apparent critical appreciation about progress of SAARC, the prime minister said the regional association was created three decades ago for the welfare of the people but looking back one would have the impression that its achievements have been rather modest compared to the expectations and potentials of the block.
Hasina, however, expressed her optimism saying that the collective political will and ambitions as well as setting aside the differences could bring real progress to the people of the region and help attaining the goal of the SAARC.She said a candid assessment and frank conversation among the leaders are the need of the hour to bring dynamism to SAARC and its activities.The theme of the 18th summit is ‘Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity’ in South Asia.Host Nepal’s prime minister Sushil Koirala who took over the chairmanship of SAARC from the Maldives for next one-year chaired the opening ceremony.Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani, Bhutanese prime minister Tshering Tobgay, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Maldives president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Pakistan prime minister Nawaj Sharif and Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa delivered their statements at the inaugural session of the two-day summit.Representatives from SAARC observers–Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar, USA and the EU who are also development partners of the SAARC member states– also made brief statements extending their support to the eight-nation forum.

Prime minister Hasina stressed on the multimodal physical connectivity between territories and communities of SAARC member states for ensuring overall peace and stability across South Asia.‘Bangladesh believed in connecting ideas, knowledge, technology, culture, people, road-rail-air, movement of goods, services and investments between the SAARC member countries,’ she told the plenary session.Referring to Bangladesh’s full support to the progress made on regional motor vehicle agreement and regional railways agreement, Hasina urged all SAARC leaders to lend their support to advance implementation of the agreed regional outcomes on connectivity.She praised the progress on the SAARC framework agreement on electricity cooperation and said that optimum supply of energy could ensure steady growth and sustainable development of the people of SAARC member countries.The prime minister focused on increasing intra-regional trade and effective implementation of SAFTA and said that the SAARC nations would particularly need to address the non-tariff and para-tariff barriers.She said that the people of Bangladesh wanted to see robust actions in every matter as they focused on ‘outcomes’ than the ‘process’.

About climate change, she reiterated its adverse impacts especially on Bangladesh that might wipe out 2 to 3 per cent of its annual GDP and said the SAARC countries needed to secure result-oriented implementation of the regional agreements and plans through cross-border initiatives to reduce the risk of climate change.
On vital cooperation in electricity, Sheikh Hasina urged the SAARC leaders to commit on regional, sub-regional and bilateral initiatives for the development of energy sector in a comprehensive manner.Highlighting the benefits through collaborative exploration of the living and non-living marine resources of the Indian Ocean, she said that the ocean resources-based ‘Blue Economy’ could play a significant role to sustainable development of the SAARC region.Hasina said that the SAARC member states should collaborate on development of capacities, partnerships and research in utilizing the marine resources.On the second day today (Thursday), the summit leaders will go to retreat at Dawrika Resort at Dhulikhil in the morning to continue their discussions on how to strengthen cooperation within the SAARC.
Later, they will meet for concluding session in the afternoon that will end up through ‘Kathmandu Declaration.’

- See more at: http://newagebd.net/70921/saarc-summit-begins/#sthash.jpVHsCYE.dpuf