By NNN-APP,
Colombo : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani urged the eight-member regional cooperation for joint efforts to fight terrorism, poverty, meet energy needs and overcome food shortages, afflicting the region.
Speaking here at the inaugural session of the 15th SAARC summit on Saturday, the Prime Minister termed extremism and terrorism a scourge and called for joint measures to strengthening regional cooperation.
He strongly condemned the attack in Kabul on Indian embassy and said Pakistan too has lost its leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in an act of terrorism.
He also welcomed the finalisation of Saarc Convention on Mutual Assistance on Criminal Matters.
Gilani stressed the need for “greater economic integration” to address the challenges confronting the grouping that houses the world’s poorest countries.
He said South Asia was rich in natural resources and concerted efforts were required to boost cooperation in areas of hydro energy, laying of oil and gas pipelines to address the shortages and enhance industrial growth.
Gilani said “we should also envisage regional network of intra regional and trans regional oil and gas pipelines.”
He stressed the need to harness region’s indigenous energy potential, particularly solar, wind, bio-mass and hydro energy.
Prime Minister Gilani stressed for achieving greater food security and said the SAARC region was blessed with fertile lands.
However he pointed that there was a need for introducing modern farming techniques, equipment and irrigation resource management to increase yield.
“Together with other Asian countries, we should think of launching Greater Asia Food Security Programme,” Gilani said, and called for learning from best practices in the region and beyond.
Prime Minister Gilani called for elimination of non-tariff barriers, trade facilitation members, reduction of sensitive lists of member states and strengthening of communication and transportation, cooperation in area of finance and banking.
Gilani said a lot of progress has been achieved in SAFTA, however stressed that more was needed towards its implementation for creating a real win-win situation for the SAARC states.
The Prime minister called for encouraging a project-based cooperation under Saarc and the focus should be on implementing regional and sub-regional projects in priority areas.
“We may also involve Saarc observers, international development institutions and public-private sector collaboration to achieve objectives.”
He said the Saarc needs to develop positive links with adjoining regions and beyond by having an inclusive approach.
“We should be open to mutually beneficial interactions, especially with our larger Asian neighbourhood.”
He said governors of state banks of member states can make positive contribution towards trade facilitation, under the mechanism of Saarc Finance. He said the Saarc Development Fund could underwrite financial support for important development projects of mutual benefit to Saarc members.
Gilani termed the cultural heritage and landscape of the SAARC member states as “invaluable assets” that need to be promoted for the socio-economic uplift of their peoples.
“Let us pledge to lay a solid foundation of mutual cooperation and trust for the benefit of South Asia,” Gilani said.
Gilani called for evolving modalities to associate observers with the work of the organisation and granting dialogue partnership status to those observers which wish to deepen relationship with Saarc for mutual benefit.
The Prime Minister expressed the confidence that the Colombo Summit would provide a fresh impetus to reinvigorating regional cooperation in South Asia.