Bangladesh News

Against the backdrop of food and fuel insecurity and threat of both terrorism and climate change, South Asian leaders yesterday promised effective cooperation in all potential fields to fight hunger and achieve faster economic growth to improve the lifestyle of their people.

The pledges were made at the 15th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) that began at the magnificent Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall here amidst extraordinary security bulwark.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bangladesh caretaker government’s Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y Thinlay, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and host Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressed the inaugural session of the two-day summit. The theme of the summit is “Saarc: Partnership for the People”.

All the leaders reflected on how to increase mutual cooperation in combating the challenges before the region through effective initiatives to increase food production, find out alternative sources of energy to ensure development, enhance intra-regional trade, combat terrorism and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed proposed adopting a clear roadmap for Saarc to fight out poverty and achieve accelerated economic growth to ensure socioeconomic progress for some 1.5 billion South Asians.

”South Asia is home to almost half of the world’s poor. Global economic slowdown, soaring oil and food prices and growing threats of climate change are driving the destitute people of the region even further below the poverty line,” he told the inaugural session to back up his call for such target-oriented action.

The chief adviser touched on critical issues of food and energy security, trade, climate change and terrorism.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said economic cooperation, connectivity and integration would be the cornerstone of Saarc in the future. “We have already agreed to move towards a South Asian Customs Union and a South Asian Economic Union in a planned and phased manner.”

He praised the establishment of Saarc Food Bank in 2007 as a forward-looking decision, noting that all member-states should now ratify the inter-governmental agreement.

Singh said South Asian countries need to work towards a collective response that leads to a quantum leap in agricultural productivity, food-grain output and farm incomes so that the spectre of food shortage vanishes from the region.

Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said Saarc should envisage a network of intra-regional and trans-regional gas pipelines. Within Saarc an enabling environment for regional cooperation can be facilitated by concluding a regional framework agreement on energy cooperation.

In view of the global food crisis, Gilani said the Saarc countries should develop a comprehensive regional strategy to ensure food security. “This is our common responsibility to the people of South Asia,” he told the summit leaders, adding, “Together with other Asian countries, we should consider launching a greater Asia food security programme.”

Sri Lankan President and new SAARC Chairman Mahinda Rajapaksa said most countries of South Asia are faced with curse of terrorism that threatens the peace and stability. He said the Saarc countries need to redouble their efforts for collective action to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

He said, “It is important to remember the element of interdependence which is crucial for a durable peace and the protection of democratic values in the region.”

President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai said South Asia has to deal myriad problems like chronic poverty, food and energy shortages, environmental degradation; but “terrorism is by far the most menacing of all”.

“These challenges do not just prevent the realisation of our potential for growth and prosperity; they put our future gravely at risk,” he told the summit meet.

Karzai noted that terrorism in South Asia feeds on a residual tradition of narrow-minded politics and of pursuing outmoded geopolitical interests.

“It is time we focused together on fighting extremism and terrorism as the enemies we have in common,” he said in his proposition.

The Afghan president said the spread of terrorism must be countered urgently and decisively for the sake of common security and for the future generation.

Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who outlives his tenure for political complications over the formation of new government following the first general election in the new republic, said growing disparity between the haves and the have-nots is putting enormous stress on social harmony, peace and security in several parts of South Asia.

He said the Saarc countries will have to make socioeconomic and political development process more people-centered, inclusive and based on equality and justice.

Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, whose country will be a worst victim of climate change like Bangladesh, said if left unmitigated, changing climate would have catastrophic consequences in the region. “Global climate change policies are still driven more by eco rationale rather than all-too important issue of human security.”

Gayoom welcomed the Dhaka ministerial meeting on climate change as a development in the right direction.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Thinlay regretted that the primary goal of Saarc to improve the well-being of the people in the region remains elusive. “Millions continue to be mired in inhuman conditions of want and deprivation,” he said.

After country statements by the heads of state or government, representatives of five of the Saarc observer countries–China, Iran, Japan, South Korea and Mauritius–made statements.

Saarc Secretary General Dr Sheel Kant Sharma also made his statement detailing function of the eight-member grouping.