President Mohamed Nasheed Highlights the fruitful Results of the 17th SAARC Summit

President Mohamed Nasheed has highlighted the many fruitful results of the 17th SAARC summit, while delivering the closing address at the concluding session of the summit.

Speaking on the trade, transport and economic development issues discussed at the two-day summit, President Nasheed announced SAARC’s decision to reduce the sensitive list of Least Developed Countries from 480 tariff lines to 25. He also said that the Heads of State and Heads of Government have agreed to finalize the Regional Railways Agreement and to convene the Expert Group Meeting on Motor Vehicles Agreement, before the next Council of Ministers.

Reflecting on the Security issues deliberated on at the summit, President Nasheed informed of the agreement on the Rapid Response to Natural Disasters and the decision to initiate work on combating maritime piracy in the region. He further said that all countries have agreed to spend an appropriate proportion of their national income on renewable energy technologies.

The President also highlighted the good governance issue on the table at the summit, “We have agreed to convene an expert group meeting to discuss a regional mechanism for empowerment of women and promote gender equality in the region. And we have agreed to strengthen the mechanisms of SAARC itself, including the Secretariat and Regional Centres.”

At the concluding session of the 17th SAARC Summit, held from the 10th of November to the 11th in Addu City, SAARC leaders adopted the Declaration of the Seventeenth SAARC Summit as the “Addu Declaration”. It was also announced that the Eighteenth SAARC Summit will be held in Nepal.
Following the conclusion of the Summit, President Mohamed Nasheed met with the press in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Summit, and briefed the media on the important decisions taken during the course of the Summit.

Source: http://www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv

Biweekly ferry service to Male soon

India will soon launch a cargo-cum-passenger ferry service between Kochi and Male, the capital of Maldives, giving an impetus to Kochi-based exporters to open up new business ventures.
The shipping ministry has plans to operate two biweekly services in this sector and it is expected to start operations within a few weeks.

"Cochin Port will soon invite private operators interested in operating the service," said K Mohandas, secretary, Shipping Ministry of India. Last July, a delegation led by Mohandas and Mohamed Latheef, permanent secretary, ministry of transport and communication of Maldives, agreed to operate ferry service between Kochi and Male. Later, at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, which concluded in Maldives on Friday, both the governments took the decision to complete the preliminary work for the service by the end of this year.

"Initially we will operate a cargo ferry service, similar to the one between Colombo and Tuticorin, from Kochi port to Maldives," a senior official at Cochin Port Trust (CPT) revealed.

"Currently a relatively smaller ferry is operating between Tuticorin and Male through the shallow waters of the Palk Strait. It transports vegetables and groceries from Tamil Nadu. The new service is expected to improve the trade between India and Maldives, and groceries from south Tamil Nadu could be sent to Maldives markets on relatively bigger ferry from Kochi," the official explained, adding: "Using a larger vessel would also bring down the cost of transportation."

"Maldives now imports goods, including light engineering merchandises and automobiles worth $1 billion per annum, mainly from Dubai and Singapore. The new ferry service from Kochi would help India develop a new market for our engineering products like motors in Maldives, and we expect this trade of value-added products to increase gradually in the coming years," the port official said.
CPT is now preparing for the launch of the ferry service by getting the berth and terminal for passengers and cargo ready. This month, a team of senior port officials from Maldives is expected to visit Kochi to discuss the arrangements to be made at their end to facilitate the ferry service.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

17th SAARC summit kicks off in Maldives

The 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit kicked off here on Thursday with the theme of "Building Bridges - both in terms of physical connectivity and figurative political dialogue".



At the opening speech, 16th SAARC Chairman and Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley said, "I am deeply honored to open the 17th session in the pristine island of Addu. Holding the summit south of the equator is truly a reminder of the vastness of our region and its diversity," said Thinley.


Photo taken on Nov. 10, 2011 shows the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Addu City of Maldives. The 17th SAARC Summit kicked off here on Thursday with the theme of "Building Bridges -- both in terms of physical connectivity and figurative political dialogue".


He remarked that Bhutan's chairmanship was a successful one with key developments on food security, renewable energy and establishment of the SAARC campus. He also thanked the South Asian governments for the assistance given to him during his tenure.


This was followed by the inaugural address that was made by Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed.


Nasheed said, "I believe that the 21st Century will be Asia's century. I believe that Asia, and South Asia in particular, is becoming more powerful and more prominent than any other time in our history. In short, I believe the future is ours to shape. Our economies are booming. Our political influence is growing. And our ability to shape the course of world affairs has never been stronger."

"Our populations are youthful and energetic. Our thinkers, researchers and scientists are globally renowned. Our culture is internationally acclaimed. Our private sector companies are some of the world's largest and most profitable. For too long, South Asia was considered a sideshow in the theater of global politics. But today, we occupy center stage. The eyes of the world are upon us. This is our time to shine," said Nasheed.

The SAARC region has great wealth, he said, adding that it is possible for the people to have a decent life. He insisted that they want to live in societies of law and order so that they can have a decent life. Growing economies and deepening democracies and ensuring stability is the possibility of south Asia.


"For this we must work together. Economic stagnation in one member nation causes insecurity in another. We must integrate economically and create a political environment that creates security. There are many reasons to be positive Afghanistan remains stable and as a region we must assist them," he said.

President Nasheed said that key aspects, among others, trade and transport connection, economic integration climate change, disaster management, will be the top agenda in the summit.


Nasheed said, "The theme of this summit is building bridges. I hope one of the things we can achieve, at this and future summits is greater integration and co-operation between SAARC countries.

The Republic of Maldives declared "Building Bridges" as the theme for the 17th SAARC Summit.

"Building Bridges - both in terms of physical connectivity and figurative political dialogue. However, the notion of bridging differences would be represented as the overarching theme of the summit rather than any set diplomatic or development aims," a statement issued by the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.


President Nasheed said, "Today, the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers met in the lovely setting of the Shangri La in the Maldives. These developments are extremely welcome. I hope all political parties in India and Pakistan applaud these encouraging moves. I hope this summit will be enthused with optimism. And I hope both countries can work to resolve their core issues."


Earlier in the day, Indian and Pakistan prime ministers met for talks in what seems to be one of the focal points of the summit. Increasing warmth of relations were observed during the talks between the two parties with hopes for a "new chapter" opening during the next round of talks.

At the opening ceremony of the Summit, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called for all SAARC countries to work together to eliminate terrorism.

"Terrorism presents an enormous challenge to the people and SAARC needs to work together to eliminate this menace," he said. SAARC can also work together to promote culture and arts that can be used to promote tourism in the region. He welcomed a consideration to establish dialogue with partners to promote the travel industry.



Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to promote fair trade in the region. He spoke positively of the progress made in SAARC, terming it as "impressive" and pointed out that many sectors including trade, transport, health and education have benefited from it.


"Our summit is taking place at a time when the West is having an economic crisis. In the meantime developing countries like ours will be squeezed for capital and markets and we should look for innovative solutions within South Asian region," he said.


Development within countries would attract foreign investors and freeing of trade between SAARC members would create benefit for all nations.


South Asia has been able to maintain a respectable growth rate and this encouraging trend has resulted in the integration of SAARC and shows the region is on the right path, Singh said.


Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his address focused on the need to create solutions for the youth of South Asia.

He expressed confidence that the SAARC summit would result in more agreements that will promote trade. Belief in the people is the greatest strength for this region, he opined, urging all members to develop their potential.
The SAARC is an organization of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2007. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.



Source:

Pakistan, India herald new era of dialogue

India and Pakistan hailed progress in diplomatic ties on Thursday, promising to open a "new chapter" in their fraught relationship at a next round of formal peace talks.



Lasting peace between the nuclear-armed rivals is seen as essential to South Asian stability and to helping a troubled transition in Afghanistan as NATO-led combat forces plan their military withdrawal from that country in 2014.


Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani held nearly an hour-long discussion at a resort island in the Maldives, punctuating a recent thaw between the two.


That includes Pakistan's decision to grant its giant neighbor favorable trade terms and end huge restrictions that require most products to move via a third country.


"The next round of talks will be more positive, more constructive and will open a new chapter in the history of both countries," Gilani told reporters after the meeting with Singh on the sidelines of a summit of South Asian leaders.


"I can only assure you that I discussed all core issues."


India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, resumed a peace dialogue in February that was derailed after an attack by Pakistan-based militants in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008.


"We will resume this dialogue with the expectation that all issues which have bedeviled relations between the two countries will be discussed," Singh said. "The time has come to write a new chapter in the history of the relationship of the two countries."


Progress has been slow but Gilani and Singh have put a personal face to the discussions.


"I have always regarded Prime Minister Gilani as a man of peace. Every time we have met, we have held very extensive discussions of relations of the two countries. These have yielded some positive results, but more needs to be done," Singh said.



TRADE TO BE NORMALISED


The two leaders, who last met in March at an international cricket match in India, discussed border disputes, sharing of common river water, Kashmir, militancy and trade, Gilani said.


Pakistan last week said it would grant India most-favored nation trade status. India gave the status to Pakistan 15 years ago, and the state of trade has closely been linked to the political temperature between the two.


"The process of trade normalization will be taken to its logical conclusion and we would also move toward a preferential trade agreement with Pakistan... and a liberalized visa regime," Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told reporters, referring to visas for business people.


There was no immediate announcement on the date or location of the next round of talks. Asked when they would resume, Gilani gestured toward the room where he and Singh had spoken and said: "Just now" to a burst of laughter.

A judicial panel from Pakistan is due in India shortly to investigate the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, including speaking with the lone surviving gunman, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.

An Indian court convicted Kasab, a Pakistani national, of murder and other charges, and he is appealing a death sentence.

"He is a terrorist. He is a non-state actor. He should go to the gallows," Malik told reporters.


India has demanded Pakistan investigate and convict the militants on its soil responsible for the assault on the Indian commercial capital.


So far, Pakistani authorities have put seven members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group on trial but India says Pakistan needs to do more.

The leaders are in the Maldives for a summit of the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which also includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the host country, an archipelago of nearly 1,200 mostly uninhabited atolls in the Indian Ocean.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/

Leaders arrive in Maldives with diverse agendas

For India it’s mainly trade liberalisation, for Afghanistan the security situation, for Pakistan both trade and anti-terrorism fight, whereas for Maldives and Bangladesh the rising sea level tops the agenda their heads of states will be pursuing during the two-day 17th meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) commencing here on Thursday afternoon.

Sri Lanka is looking for increased cooperation between members to catch up with them after winning a war against Tamil Tigers that has bled the country for decades. However, Bhutan and Nepal, the two relatively smaller members of Saarc, once again will be analysing how they can benefit from the forum which even after 26 years since its inception has failed to kick-start what to talk about serving over 1.5 billion people of the region.

Saarc came into being in Dec 1985 with the aim to promote welfare of the people of South Asia and improve their quality of life. According to analysts, the South Asian leaders have miserably failed on their collective responsibility. The intra-regional trade, another basic objective behind the creation of Saarc, is less than five per cent. Initially, it had seven member states but Afghanistan joined the bloc in April 2007.

Maybe it’s the diversity of agendas which every member state has been following over the years which has compelled the organisers to select ‘building bridges’ as the theme for this year’s Saarc summit.

“Building bridges — both in terms of physical connectivity and figurative political dialogue, however, the notion of bridging differences would be represented as the overarching theme of the summit rather than any set diplomatic aims,” a press release issued by the Maldivian foreign ministry said.

As in the past, there is every likelihood of a meeting between the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers on the sidelines of the summit, expected on Thursday, to overshadow the rest of the proceedings.

Unresolved differences between the two countries are considered a major stumbling block in making Saarc an effective regional organisation like other such bodies in other parts of the world.

Therefore, warming of ties between Pakistan and India is a must to have an operational Saarc. Otherwise it would remain a mere talk shop.

According to Pakistani delegates, barring any exceptions, the meeting between the two leaders is there on the agenda prior to the formal opening of the summit.

The two leaders are expected to thrash out differences over Pakistan’s reluctance to give the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India. India had given MFN status to Pakistan in 1996 and has been looking for reciprocity from Pakistan.

Only recently, when Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan misreported a federal cabinet decision that the government had decided to grant the status to India, it set off such an uproar in the country that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had to

make a clarification. He said during a media interaction that the government had only allowed the commerce ministry to start negotiations with its Indian counterpart to normalise trade relations.

“Definitely, issues regarding Indian presence in Afghanistan will also be taken up during the meeting between the prime ministers,” a Pakistani official said. He said Pakistan was not against increasing collaboration between India and Afghanistan.

However, being an immediate neighbour and main victim of the American war on terror, the country needed to be consulted.

A recent defence agreement between India and Afghanistan has raised many eyebrows in Pakistan.

India expects to move forward on the liberalisation of trade under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement and will work to promote greater integration and development of a South Asian identity at the summit, Indian media quoted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as saying before his departure to Addu city.

Mr Singh also expressed hopes that the Saarc countries would sign agreements on implementation of regional standards, a multilateral arrangement on recognition of conformity assessment, rapid response to natural disasters and establishment of a Saarc seed bank during the summit.

APP adds: Prime Minister Gilani said on Wednesday before leaving for the Maldives that the importance and effectiveness of Saarc had increased manifold since Pakistan and India resumed discussing bilateral disputes.

He said the association had earlier been losing its effectiveness and could not move forward because of tense relations between the two major countries of South Asia.

“We will definitely focus on the conference’s theme of ‘building bridges’ by discussing all possible ways and means for mutual cooperation through rail, road and sea routes.”

In the Maldives, the prime minister was received at the Gan airport by President Mohammad Nasheed.

Source: http://www.dawn.com/

Another Dornier to patrol Maldives

India has deployed another naval Dornier aircraft in Maldives to help the Indian Ocean nation in anti-piracy patrols and maritime surveillance.

"The Dornier will operate from Male and other places from Wednesday for at least three weeks," said an official. This comes shortly after TOI reported that alarm bells were ringing in the Indian security establishment over renewed efforts by China to further expand its footprint in Maldives.


Ever since defence minister A K Antony's visited Maldives in August 2009, Indian warships and Dornier aircraft have been regularly assisting the 1,190-island archipelago in maritime patrolling.

New Delhi, apart from hydrographic surveys and other military assistance, is also assisting Male to set up a network of ground radars in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems. Antony, incidentally, just last week had held that the Navy was mandated to be "a net security provider" for island nations in the Indian Ocean.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Improve ties with regional nations: Gilani to Khar

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani directed Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday to concentrate on further improving relations between Pakistan and countries of the region based on mutual respect and equality.

Gilani made the remarks during a meeting with Khar. The Foreign Minister briefed him on upcoming international meetings like the Commonwealth conference in Australia this month and SAARC Summit in Maldives next month.

Khar "sounded upbeat so far as the relations of Pakistan with the countries of the region were concerned", said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office.

She said her optimism was based on the "shared realisation among the countries to improve relations".

She also apprised Gilani of the Foreign Office's efforts to seek support for Pakistan’s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com

Maldives Foreign Minister calls on Rehman Malik

Foreign Minister of Maldives Ahmad Naseem called on Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik here on Wednesday.The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere in which both the ministers discussed issues of bilateral relations and exchange of prisoners.Rehman Malik said Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Maldives, said a press release issued here.The Foreign Minister of Maldives said “ We also attach importance to our relations with Pakistan and both the countries have exemplary relations”. He hoped that the relations would further flourish with time.Upcoming SAARC Summit also came under discussion during the meeting.

The Maldives Foreign Minister invited the Interior Minister to visit Maldives.
A delegation headed by Director General of Anti-Terrorist Office (UK), Charles Far, also met Rehman Malik and appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate terrorism.

Source: http://ftpapp.app.com.pk

India to give $100 mn loan to each neighbouring nations

India today said it would provide $100 million as loan for each of its neighbouring countries to help them develop infrastructure like roads and power.

After a meeting of the South Asia Free Trade Area Ministerial Council at Male (Maldives), Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said India has evolved a new ‘Buyer Credit Cover’ for the SAARC region, that is, a development loan for them.

“We would be happy to extend such development loan through our Exim bank, interest rates close to LIBOR (London Inter Bank Offer Rate),” he said.

Sharma also said that as energy needs of South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region is multiplying, there is a need to build greater energy security through trans-national electricity grids.

“The SAARC region needs to concentrate on all possibilities of cross-border electricity trade. This would help in better energy load management as well as energy security in South Asia,” he said.

As regard the Free trade agreement, Sharma urged all the member countries to “bring down all the protectionist trade barriers to achieve regional economies of scale at a greater pace.” He emphasised that the countries in South Asia need to rapidly break down barriers in key sectors like textiles, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, electronic goods, automobiles and agriculture. He asked SAARC negotiators to complete talks for opening up trade in services through a separate agreement.

“The focus should also be to bring down the tariff levels for those items which still remain within the sensitive list,” he said.

He added that foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade within the SAARC region has been much below the potential and it should be enhanced further.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com

Saarc nod to multi-entry, multi-city visa

In season 2012, Indian Premier League franchisees can bid for Pakistani players without having to worry about visas.

The eight Saarc countries today approved a liberalised visa regime for 22 categories of professionals, including select sportspersons.

Of these, 19 categories will not need to apply for visas and will instead be able to travel on Saarc stickers. The stickers will be pasted on passports after the necessary checks and clearances.

These will allow unfettered travel through India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Diplomats, MPs, people working on Saarc projects and NGO representatives are among those covered by the visa exemption scheme that will come into force soon.

Their travel will not be limited to specific cities, no police reporting will be required and they will not need to fill up extra forms on entry in any of the eight countries, according to the decision taken by the Saarc Council of Ministers at Thimphu today.

The three categories — select sportspersons, journalists and businesspersons — who will need visas will be granted multi-entry, multi-city 90-day visas. They, too, will be exempt from police reporting.

However, given India’s and Pakistan’s fears about “undesirable” people from across the border entering their territory, the regional forum agreed that the visas and visa stickers would be granted at the discretion of the foreign ministries concerned.

The stickers will be issued within 10 days of application.

Saarc member countries also agreed to expedite pending decisions for smoother functioning of the South Asian University.

The governing body of the university, set up in Delhi, will meet early next month to set in motion the appointments to its steering committee and firm up rules and regulations, sources said.

The university president will be selected from India, with the Union government expected to nominate three persons of whom one will be chosen by the governing board.

The university’s first academic session started in August 2010 with 50 students.

Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao urged the Saarc countries to nominate their members to the university’s governing board at the earliest.

Some countries that are yet to ratify the agreement on setting up the university should also do so at the earliest, Rao added.

The Saarc meeting, which concluded today, approved India’s proposal to set up the South Asian Forum to suggest ways to increase regional trade.

The forum will include members from government, academia and industry.

The steering committee set up for the purpose will meet in Male, possibly next month, to take the proposal forward.

The meeting also stressed the need to take further steps on the South Asian Free Trade Area. Ministers of the eight member countries will meet in Maldives in May to discuss steps to increase trade.

Intra-Saarc trade has crossed the $1billion mark but has enormous potential to grow further, the ministers agreed.

Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com

Saarc's Snarky Politics

Launched in Bangladesh in 1985, the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation was supposed to mimic the success of another trading bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. At its 25-year anniversary last week, it's clear that politics—pure and simple—has gotten in the way.

Like Asean, Saarc was meant to spark cross-border trade and investment that would raise living standards in one of the poorest regions of the world and help bridge the political chasms created by India's 1947 partition. But Saarc soon became a victim of political infighting and mutual mistrust. India-Pakistan's continuing disputes over Kashmir and terrorism presented the biggest hurdle. In 1998, both countries went nuclear; the next year, they fought a limited war. Then in 2008, Pakistani militants held Mumbai ransom for three days, killing over 170 innocents.

Saarc has been in political deep freeze ever since. But even before that, the group has done little to realize its grand vision for trade sans politics. India remains reluctant to commit to binding tariff cuts. The other nations, such as Nepal, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, are economic minnows. Sri Lanka was mired in a costly civil war that consumed almost all of its government's energies until recently.

These political spats have also sometimes directly interfered with what should be private business dealings. For instance, when the Tata Group, one of India's foremost conglomerates, wanted to drill for natural gas in Bangladesh some years ago, then Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia refused. She was reportedly close to the Pakistan leadership, which didn't want Dhaka to create economic linkages with New Delhi.

The result is that with an estimated 1.5 billion people, or 23% of the world's population, Saarc's eight member states—from Afghanistan to Bangladesh, via India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Sri Lanka—remain extremely rich in natural resources, but mired in poverty. Average per-capita incomes are a measly $880. In contrast with Asean, where internal trade averages 25%, intra-Saarc trade is, at $687 million annually, less than 3% of the members' total trade.

Breaking the India-Pakistan political logjam is the key to any hope for progress. New Delhi has long been unwilling to sustain an economic relationship with Islamabad so long as Pakistan-sponsored intelligence forces attack India. At last week's meetings, Saarc's other members finally showed some irritation. The Maldives' president, Mohamed Nasheed, told the two to "compartmentalize" their problems. (In Saarc-speak, that's the equivalent of a dressing down.)

There's reason for hope. India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and Pakistan's Yousef Raza Gilani took a walk together and agreed to get bilateral talks back on track, which also bodes well for Saarc. Last week in an interview in Thimphu, Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni said he not only welcomed the Tata investment back, but said that Dhaka was seriously interested in a free trade treaty with India. Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa may also consider an India trade deal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has often talked of an economic union of South Asia, of how the partition of the subcontinent in 1947 destroyed many natural political and economic connections across the region. If Saarc has any hope of achieving its mission, India and Pakistan must set aside politics in favor of the economics. After all, isn't that what a trade bloc is for?

Source: http://online.wsj.com

Deals on environment, trade to be signed at 16th SAARC summit

The 16th South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in Bhutan this month is expected to sign a number of agreements on environment protection and trade in South Asia, the Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes said on Saturday.

The theme of the summit is "Conservation of Environment and Climate".

Briefing reporters Mijarul Quayes said that the theme of the summit is important as some South Asian countries including Bangladesh and the Maldives are most vulnerable nations to the changing climate.

Quoting environment scientists, he said the Maldives will lose its existence with the rise of sea level while Bangladesh will lose 20 percent of low-lying areas in the Bay of Bengal resulting in displacement of 25 million people.

He said the council of ministers comprising the Foreign Ministers of the 8-member SAARC countries will finalize a declaration on the climate change.

Quayes said though the Copenhagen Summit (COP-15) on Climate Change failed to reach a legally binding agreement on reducing the greenhouse gas emission, but it is a first step to lead to the such agreement at the COP-16 in Mexico in December this year.

He said the summit is expected to sign agreement on rapid response to natural disaster, cooperation in environment conservation, trade in South Asian countries and the South Asian Development Fund.

The 2-day summit will be preceded by the Council of Ministers meeting on April 27, Standing Committee meeting of the Foreign Secretaries on April 25-26 and Programming Committee meeting of senior officials on April 24.

Source: http://english.people.com.cn

SAARC summit in Thimpu Apr 28-29

The 16th SAARC summit will be held in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan, on April 28-29 with the theme: 'Conservation of Environment and Climate'.

The two-day summit will be preceded by the Council of Ministers meeting on April 27, Standing Committee meeting on April 25-26 and Programming Committee meeting of senior officials on April 24.

Briefing reporters at the Foreign Ministry on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes said the theme of the 16th SAARC summit is important as some of the South Asian countries including Bangladesh and the Maldives are most vulnerable to the changing climate.

Quoting environment experts, he said the Maldives will lose its existence with the rise of sea level while Bangladesh will lose 20 percent of its low lying areas in the Bay, which will displace 25 million people.

Quayes said though the Copenhagen summit (COP 15) on climate change failed to reach a legally binding agreement on lowering the greenhouse gas emission, but it was a first step leading to such an agreement at the COP 16 in Mexico in December this year.

He said SAARC council of ministers meeting in Thimpu will finalize a declaration on the climate change.

Besides, the summit is expected to sign agreement on trade and services, rapid response to natural disaster and cooperation in environment and South Asian Development Fund

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com

25 students from SAARC countries awarded certificates

The certificate distribution ceremony of a documentary-making course was held at the South Asian Media School (SAMS) on Saturday where 25 students from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan were awarded certificates.

Addressing the ceremony, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Secretary General IA Rehman said the art of making documentaries had gained popularity after the World War-II and brought a realistic approach to the cinematic art. He said this art had lost importance in Pakistan as it had been reduced to merely shabby reels. However, he said, some people were trying to revive this art in the country. He said SAMS was doing a wonderful job by facilitating the students of the region in promoting this art.

GCU Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Aftab congratulated the students for successfully completing the course at SAMS. He praised the subject and its treatment at the hands of the students during the making of various documentaries.

SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam said Pakistan-India tension had had an adverse impact on the SAMS activities. He urged the students to use analytical skills and practical knowledge of the subject instead of mere rhetoric.

Source: dailytimes.com.pk

Bhutan to hold next SAARC Summit in April

Basking in limelight last year when it held its first general elections, followed by the crowning of a new king, the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will grab world attention once again in April when it hosts the 16th SAARC Summit.

It will be a triumphant first for Thimphu that in the past had to pass on the opportunity due to lack of infrastructure.

The SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu has begun consultations with the seen other member states, including the newly inducted Afghanistan, to finalise the dates mooted by the Bhutan government. Bhutanese Prime Minister L J Y Thinley has proposed April 28-29, which would have to be confirmed by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Nepal.

Though initially it was Maldives’ turn to host the 16th summit, the SAARC Council of Foreign Ministers, who met in Colombo in February, agreed to Bhutan’s request. The two-day summit will resurrect fresh outside world interest in the isolated Buddhist country and boost tourism. It would be the first time the summit is being held in Thimphu since the creation of SAARC in 1985.

However, the regional bloc and Nepal’s caretaker Maoist government seem to be at odds, by a quirk of fate. When the 15th summit was held in Colombo in August 2008, Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, who took oath of office as Nepal’s first Maoist premier the same month, was unable to attend due to the delay in the formation of his government. Subsequently, caretaker premier Girija Prasad Koirala went to Colombo.

Next year too, Prachanda is unlikely to attend the Thimphu summit. Having resigned over a row about the sacking of the army chief, his caretaker government is now being asked to make way for a new coalition led by his former allies, the communists. Madhav Kumar Nepal, former chief of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, has been able to win the support of 23 of the 25 parliamentary parties and is poised to step into Prachanda’s shoes as soon as the former guerrillas lift their siege of parliament. It is therefore likely that Nepal will represent Nepal at the regional meet.

However, the communist leader faces a tough hurdle with the Maoists seeking their pound of flesh before they yield. They are now demanding that the house admit a debate on the constitutional propriety of the President, Dr Ram Baran Yadav, reinstating the army chief they had sacked. They are also demanding a vote, hoping to be revenged on the president and have him removed though they failed with the chief of Nepal Army, Gen Rookmangud Katawal.

There is growing concern at the prolonged stalemate in Nepal. Even on Tuesday, the envoys of EU countries and the US met Prachanda to urge him not to create a political vacuum but to cooperate with the other parties.

In February 2005, after Nepal's King Gyanendra staged a bloodless coup, the SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Bangladesh had to be called off after India pulled out, citing the instability in Nepal and the security situation in Dhaka.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India looks at more economic engagements with Saarc nations

The government on Friday gave its green signal for the entry of Afghanistan, with a GDP of about $8 billion, to become the latest member of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (Safta).

In this regard the Cabinet approved the proposal for ratification of the protocol of accession of Afghanistan to Agreement on Safta. “Early ratification of the Protocol of Accession will accelerate Afghanistan’s formal joining of Safta. It will also help in full implementation of Safta by putting pressure on Pakistan to adhere to Safta norms for the sensitive list and give transit to Afghanistan,” information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunsi said after a Cabinet meeting.

A Safta ministerial council meeting in March this year had recommended that Afghanistan would be treated at par with Maldives as far as Mechanism for Compensation of Revenue Loss (MCRL) under Safta is concerned.

The Cabinet also gave its approval for the establishment of South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (Sarso) and the charter of Saarc Development Fund (SDF). The minister said the establishment of Sarso would enhance economic engagements with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries by cooperating in the field of standards and quality control. It will accelerate full implementation of Safta by harmonising the standards in Saarc, he added.

Dasmunsi said early ratification of the SDF would accelerate the implementation of the regional and sub-regional projects in Saarc. A functional SDF would help change Saarc from declaratory body to an entity that implements projects.

The Saarc countries had earlier aimed to increase the intra-Saarc trade from the present $20 billion to $40 billion in the next 3-5 years. According to Research and Information System for Developing Countries, South Asia has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing regions with an average growth rate of 8% sustained over the past five years. But RIS adds that the region continues to be home for over 40% of the world’s poor and fares poorly in terms of different indicators of human development.

Saarc was set up in 1985 by the heads of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives to advance common interest. Safta was launched in January 2006 and become operational in July 2006, opening over 4, 000 commodities for trade. In 2007, Afghanistan had joined the Saarc as the eighth member.

The proposal for setting up Sarso follows the establishment of the Standing Group on Standards, Quality Control and Measurements, by the

Saarc commerce ministers in May 1998.

The group had recognised the need for the Saarc Member Countries to forge a Regional Action Plan for the harmonisation of specific product standards and the process of developing regional standards. It was agreed that the member nations would promote mutual acceptability of laboratory accreditation process.

Sarso will now look at providing access to certification scheme relating to product, systems and services of one country by other countries, including exchange of information on statutory rules and regulations having bearing on certification.

To boost intra-Saarc trade through exchange of information in regulatory systems, the countries had agreed that agricultural & food products, building material and household electrical appliances would be covered in the first instance.

It was also agreed that there would be promotion of mutual acceptability of the certification process of Member Countries in relation to safety requirements of products. The countries would also develop a process of accreditation systems based on international norms to facilitate mutual recognition at a later stage. To avoid duplication of efforts, they would share the facility of accreditation bodies to facilitate getting international approval from organisations such as International Accreditation Forum.

There would also be identification of testing and calibration facilities in the region and access to these facilities, besides informing other Saarc countries about various training programmes, and providing a list of experts in their respective fields.

Source: www.financialexpress.com

Terrorism Talks Overshadow South Asian Summit

South Asian leaders have agreed to work jointly to combat terrorism, eradicate poverty, ensure regional food security and enhance trade ties. The declaration was affirmed in Sri lanka at the 15th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation . VOA Correspondent Steve Herman in Colombo reports the conference was overshadowed by tense meetings on the sidelines involving several of the leaders.

As the SAARC summit concluded, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to devise a "common strategy" to deal with terrorism, including reducing the movement of extremists across their common border.

In a joint statement following a meeting between Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai and Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the neighbors agreed to coordinate efforts to halt cross-border terrorism.

Not mentioned in the statement was the July 7 bombing of the Indian Embassy in the Afghan capital, in which about 60 people died. Afghanistan and India have accused Pakistan's intelligence agency of masterminding the attack.

Mr. Gilani met Saturday with Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh. The Pakistani leader promised to conduct an independent investigation into the embassy blast and possible links to his country's intelligence service.

The sideline meetings - and the presence of high-profile observers, including Iran's foreign minister - took the spotlight off the actual summit.

The leaders of the association's eight nations pledged a joint fight against terrorism through a convention on trading information in criminal matters, the establishment of a $300-million fund to fight poverty, and the expedited opening of a regional food bank. They also pledged to improve cross-border trading by harmonizing quality standards.

The U.S. assistant secretary of state for the region, Richard Boucher, says such moves demonstrate the regional group is moving beyond the talking stage.

"I do not think any single organization or any single meeting is going to solve all these problems," said Boucher. "But I think every organization and every meeting should try to make a direct contribution and that is what the SAARC leaders have pledged themselves to do together. And that is what we as observers are trying to work with them to do."

In remarks at the summit, the chief of Bangladesh's caretaker government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, said SAARC is finally living up to the ideals it proposed when it was initiated.

"This summit has rekindled the hope and belief among our peoples regarding the delivery and prosperity that we collectively promised 23 years ago," said Fakhruddin Ahmed.

The SAARC leaders represent more than one of every five people on the planet, but 40 percent of the world's poor. The association is composed of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Source: www.globalsecurity.org

Saarc Summit to focus on food, fuel security

Food and fuel security will be high on the agenda of the upcoming 15th summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in Colombo in August.

The visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama stated this in New Delhi on Monday evening after holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The summit is scheduled to be held against the backdrop of soaring prices and crisis of food grains and oil across the globe that is hitting South Asian countries hard.

The two-day summit of South Asian heads of state and government, scheduled to begin August 2, is expected to see a forward movement on the proposal for setting up a SAARC Food Bank aimed at meeting the requirements of member-countries at times of need.

Bogollagama said the food as well as fuel security issue would be high on the agenda of the summit, that will have a structured discussion on the subjects to see how the two issues can be addressed and the burden reduced.

Both leaders discussed the food security issue and agreed on need for boosting food grains production.

Saarc had agreed during the previous summit last year to set up a Food Bank where the member-countries will keep a stock of rice and wheat to meet food security in the region during shortages and emergencies. Four countries, including India, have already ratified the declaration and the rest are expected to do the same.

Bogollagama who also discussed the problems with Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, stressed on the need for this step to be completed soon.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at the recent FAO summit in Rome suggested the setting up of a regional food security fund.

Another important item on the agenda of the forthcoming Saarc summit will be connectivity among the member-countries for strengthening trade and economic development, Bogollagama said.

During his meeting with Mukherjee, Bogollagama stressed the need to continue the theme of connectivity, which was the focus of the 14th Summit in Delhi in 2007.

Official sources said Mukherjee and Bogollagama also discussed other SAARC-related issues like SAARC Development Fund, SAARC Standards Organisation and South Asia University.

The Lankan minister sought to allay fears about security in the Sri Lankan capital for the coming summit in the wake of escalation of violence in his country saying "isolated" incidents would not be allowed to cast a shadow on the event.

He said the summit would discuss how to deal with terrorism that is affecting several SAARC countries.

LANKA VOWS SAARC SUMMIT WILL GO AHEAD
Sri Lanka's foreign minister insisted Monday the island would be able to host the next Saarc summit despite a surge in deadly rebel attacks, reports AFP from New Delhi.

The eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) is due to hold its 15th annual summit in Colombo on August 2-3.

"We will do everything possible to ensure the correct level of security," Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said in the Indian capital New Delhi.

His statement came hours after a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew himself up outside a police compound in northern Sri Lanka, killing at least 12 police and wounding 40 other people.

Sri Lanka has seen a surge in violence blamed on the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) targeting buses, trains and politicians since the government scrapped a 2002 ceasefire with the guerrillas in January.

Bogollagama condemned the latest attack staged by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle as an example of the brutality of the LTTE, who have been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland since 1972.

"These isolated attacks are most brutal in their character but will not affect our overall security situation" in holding the summit, he said, adding the island had recently played host to various international leaders.

Bogollagama visited India to personally invite Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the summit and to discuss bilateral and regional issues with Indian leaders.

New Delhi hosted the last Saarc summit in 2007 and Singh is due to hand over the Saarc chairmanship to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at the Colombo summit.

Saarc is made up of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Also expected to attend as official observers are the United States, China, the European Union, Iran and Japan.

Around 1,000 delegates and hordes of media are expected to pour into Colombo for the summit.

This year's meeting is seen as key as the region faces growing crises over soaring fuel and food prices, which will both be part of the talks, as well as terrorism, Bogollagama said.

Set up in 1985, Saarc has been criticised for achieving little -- mostly because of tensions between key members India and Pakistan, who have fought three wars, two over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Source: www.thedailystar.net

Saarc Summit to focus on food, fuel security

Food and fuel security will be high on the agenda of the upcoming 15th summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in Colombo in August.

The visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama stated this in New Delhi on Monday evening after holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The summit is scheduled to be held against the backdrop of soaring prices and crisis of food grains and oil across the globe that is hitting South Asian countries hard.

The two-day summit of South Asian heads of state and government, scheduled to begin August 2, is expected to see a forward movement on the proposal for setting up a SAARC Food Bank aimed at meeting the requirements of member-countries at times of need.

Bogollagama said the food as well as fuel security issue would be high on the agenda of the summit, that will have a structured discussion on the subjects to see how the two issues can be addressed and the burden reduced.

Both leaders discussed the food security issue and agreed on need for boosting food grains production.

Saarc had agreed during the previous summit last year to set up a Food Bank where the member-countries will keep a stock of rice and wheat to meet food security in the region during shortages and emergencies. Four countries, including India, have already ratified the declaration and the rest are expected to do the same.

Bogollagama who also discussed the problems with Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, stressed on the need for this step to be completed soon.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at the recent FAO summit in Rome suggested the setting up of a regional food security fund.

Another important item on the agenda of the forthcoming Saarc summit will be connectivity among the member-countries for strengthening trade and economic development, Bogollagama said.

During his meeting with Mukherjee, Bogollagama stressed the need to continue the theme of connectivity, which was the focus of the 14th Summit in Delhi in 2007.

Official sources said Mukherjee and Bogollagama also discussed other SAARC-related issues like SAARC Development Fund, SAARC Standards Organisation and South Asia University.

The Lankan minister sought to allay fears about security in the Sri Lankan capital for the coming summit in the wake of escalation of violence in his country saying "isolated" incidents would not be allowed to cast a shadow on the event.

He said the summit would discuss how to deal with terrorism that is affecting several SAARC countries.

LANKA VOWS SAARC SUMMIT WILL GO AHEAD
Sri Lanka's foreign minister insisted Monday the island would be able to host the next Saarc summit despite a surge in deadly rebel attacks, reports AFP from New Delhi.

The eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) is due to hold its 15th annual summit in Colombo on August 2-3.

"We will do everything possible to ensure the correct level of security," Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said in the Indian capital New Delhi.

His statement came hours after a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew himself up outside a police compound in northern Sri Lanka, killing at least 12 police and wounding 40 other people.

Sri Lanka has seen a surge in violence blamed on the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) targeting buses, trains and politicians since the government scrapped a 2002 ceasefire with the guerrillas in January.

Bogollagama condemned the latest attack staged by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle as an example of the brutality of the LTTE, who have been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland since 1972.

"These isolated attacks are most brutal in their character but will not affect our overall security situation" in holding the summit, he said, adding the island had recently played host to various international leaders.

Bogollagama visited India to personally invite Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the summit and to discuss bilateral and regional issues with Indian leaders.

New Delhi hosted the last Saarc summit in 2007 and Singh is due to hand over the Saarc chairmanship to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at the Colombo summit.

Saarc is made up of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Also expected to attend as official observers are the United States, China, the European Union, Iran and Japan.

Around 1,000 delegates and hordes of media are expected to pour into Colombo for the summit.

This year's meeting is seen as key as the region faces growing crises over soaring fuel and food prices, which will both be part of the talks, as well as terrorism, Bogollagama said.

Set up in 1985, Saarc has been criticised for achieving little -- mostly because of tensions between key members India and Pakistan, who have fought three wars, two over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Source: www.thedailystar.net

SAARC CWE to hold seminar

The SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs is holding a one-day seminar on ‘Global Opportunities, a boom for Women Entrepreneurs’ in New Delhi on February 13th, 2008.

Member delegates of the SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan will attend seminar.

President SAARC CCI, Tariq Sayeed will be the chief guest of the seminar and he will also release activity report of Women entrepreneurs Council of SAARC Chamber. The subject of the seminar will highlight the SAARC’s emphasis on women empowerment in SAARC nations-facilitation of connectivity between nations and expanding opportunities in the world especially among SAARC nations-women should seize the opportunities available so that they can claim their rightful place in the development process and in society.

The seminar will also address the opportunities involve many aspects of entrepreneurship and its development such as banking, investment modes, raising capital and other resources etc.

It will also highlight the need for global outlook on such aspects and look for sourcing these from among the SAARC nations and elsewhere-need to know how and when to source them.

Source: dailytimes.com.pk