While the leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are evaluating the progress of the group here at its 14th Summit, Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom seems to be the only man who can really give a first-hand assessment.
President Gayoom is the only SAARC leader to have attended all fourteen summits of the regional group since its inception 22 years ago.
SAARC, the largest regional organization in the world by population, covering approximately 1.47 billion people, was established on December 8, 1985. And, since then, there have been fourteen meetings of the group, which has India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan, and newly inducted Afghanistan as its members.
Different leaders from the group members have been attending the summits, but for Maldives, Gayoom has been the lone representative.
And if experience counts at all, then the statement in his speech given today that the SAARC "must become less of a monopoly of governments, and belong to the people" holds high significance for the member nations.
List of SAARC Summits:
1. December 7-8, 1985 at Dhaka
2. November 16-17, 1986 at Bangalore
3. November 2-4, 1987 at Kathmandu
4. December 29-31, 1988 at Islamabad
5. November 21-23, 1990 at Male'
6. December 21, 1991 at Colombo
7. April 10-11, 1993 at Dhaka
8. May 2-4, 1995 at New Delhi
9. May 12-14, 1997 at Male'
10. July 29-31, 1998 at Colombo
11. January 4-6, 2002 at Kathmandu
12. January 2-6, 2004 at Islamabad
13. November 12-13, 2005 at Dhaka
14. April 3-4, 2007 at New Delhi.
Source: Daily India
1 comment:
mali???
iznt that an african country.... i didnt know a SAARC summit was held in africa.. u must be refering to male' the capital city of maldives..who ever wrote it get the things correct.
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