ADDU: The 17th SAARC Summit concluded here on Friday adopting a very
promising 20-point agenda reaffirming its commitment to peace,
confidence building, liberty, dignity, democracy, mutual respect, good
governance and protection of human rights.
The summit, which was
attended by eight member countries and nine representatives from
observer states, also renewed its firm commitment to alleviate poverty
and reduce income inequalities within the societies and reaffirmed its
resolve to improve the quality of life and well-being of their people
through people-centred sustainable development.
The summit
through the “Addu Declaration” also expressed its deep concern about the
continuing threat of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,
transnational organized crimes, especially illegal trafficking in
narcotics drugs, and trafficking in persons and small arms, and
increased incidents of maritime piracy in the region and reiterated its
resolve to fight all such menaces.
The summit also expressed
concern on the environmental degradation and vulnerabilities of the
region to the threat of climate change. The summit also emphasised the
need to further strengthen the institutional mechanism of SAARC in order
to bolster and enhance regional cooperation.
The summit
welcomed the signing of SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural
Disasters, SAARC Seed Bank, SAARC Agreement on Multilateral Arrangement
on Recognition of Conformity Assessment and the SAARC Agreement on
Implementation of Regional Standards.
Through the declaration,
the summit recognized the importance of the full implementation of SAFTA
as a measure towards the creation of an enabling economic environment
in the region.
The summit appreciated the representatives from
the observers, including Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Korea,
Mauritius, Myanmar, the United States of America and European Union.
Through
the declaration, the summit asked the SAARC finance ministers to
prepare a proposal that would allow greater flow of financial capital
and intra-regional long term investment.
The member states also
emphasised the need to conclude Regional Railways Agreement and to
convene the Export Group Meeting on the Motor Vehicles Agreement before
the next session of Council of Ministers and conduct a demonstration run
of a container train among Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
The
declaration also directed the member states to conclude the
inter-governmental framework agreement for energy cooperation and the
study on regional power exchange concept.
The summit also
decided to make efforts to resolve the operational issues related to the
SAARC Food Bank by the next session of Council of Ministers with a view
to ensuring its effective functioning.
The summit also
recommended making efforts for the finalization of work on elaboration
of the SAARC Regional Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking
in women and children for prostitution with a view to its adoption by
the next summit.
The 17th Summit also agreed to expedite the
work on mutual recognition of academic and professional degrees and
harmonization of academic standards, and establishment of long term
linkages among universities, research institutions and think tanks in
the region.
The summit also decided to observe Media Day and in
this context, decided to convene a Regional Conference on Media to
consider deepening collaboration in the region.
In his
concluding remarks, Chairman of the 17th SAARC Summit and President of
Maldives Mohammed Nasheed said the summit agreed to promote connectivity
and promote people-to-people relations.
He thanked all the
delegates to attend the summit and hoped that all of them have wonderful
time during their stay in Addu City. In the last session of the summit,
the representatives from observers states, including Australia, China,
European Union, Iran, Japan,
Republic of Korea, Mauritius,
Myanmar and the USA also addressed the summit and assured their support
to the SAARC for implementing its decisions.
Before adopting the
agenda, the 17th SAARC Summit signed four agreements including SAARC
Agreement on Rapid Response to National Disasters, SAARC Agreement on
Multilateral Arrangement on Recognition of Conformity Assessment, SAARC
Agreement on Implementation of Regional Standards and SAARC Seed Bank
Agreement.
These agreements were signed by the respective
foreign ministers of the member states of SAARC in the presence of the
their leaders.
The SAARC summit hosted by Maldives was attended
by Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, President of
Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina
Wajid, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Jigmi Thinley, Prime Minister
of India Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of Nepal Dr. Baburam
Bhattarai and President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The
concluding session of the 17th SAARC summit has begun with foreign
ministers of the South Asian countries signing four agreements,
including one on rapid response to disaster and another on seed bank.
The
second session of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) summit started in the southern Maldivian atoll of Addu at 4:30pm
on Friday, the Haveeru Online reported.
Four deals are SAARC
Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disasters, SAARC Agreement on
Multilateral Arrangement on Recognition of Conformity Assessment, SAARC
Agreement on Implementation of Regional Standards and SAARC Seed Bank
Agreement. After the signing, delegates from Australia, China, European
Union, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar and the United
States will present their views, the online daily said. Online
