HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Poverty alleviation core area for regional cooperation

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 2l: Prime Minister and current chairman of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, SAARC, Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the eradication of poverty, promotion of free trade area and social upliftment have been identified as core areas for regional cooperation in line with the principles and objective of SAARC.

Deuba, who was inaugurating the 23rd Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers here today, said these are the foundation stones upon which we have to create meaningful and substantive cooperation.

Remarking that an enhanced level of cooperation within the SAARC framework and shared feelings and understading would ensure peace and prosperity in the region and help realise its vast potential, he voiced appreciation for the complementary role played by the business commutity and civil society in expanding the areas of regional interactions.

Referring to enhancement of competitiveness and promotion of complementarity in the region as primary goals, he said they reinforce our economic strength against the adverse effects of globalisation which places a great demand on all of us to be bold enough to look beyond the present.
We should concentrate ourselves on doable programmes and on their effective implementation so that the results become tangible and meaningful, and we must make rapid progress to remain relevant and vibrant, he said.

SAARC has brought together a community of the largest number of people in the world within a cooperative framework, he said adding that the challenge today is to consolidate the positive gains made so far and make progress in areas where we lag behind.

As per the directives of the llth SAARC summit, Nepal has prepared concept papers including one on rationalisation and consolidation of the SAARC process, and there is a need to strengthen implementation and institutional capability and focus our activities on core ares of cooperation, he said.

Pointing out that terrorism has been the latest menace to the region and the world at large, he said the Council of Ministers may deliberate on the mechanism of strengthening implementation of the SAARC convention on suppression of terrorism and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation in line with the changing demands of the day.

Stressing that equally resolute steps in the social sector should complement economic cooperation measures as economic prosperity and social development are the twin pillars of cooperation, he recalled that the Kathmandu summit signed two important SAARC conventions on combating trafficking in women and children for prostitution, and on the rights and welfare of children.

The council may give directives for early implementation of the conventions with the necessary enabling legislation and an early conclusion of the proposed social charter, he observed and remarked that the proposed SAARC advocacy group of eminent women personalities would also compliment efforts in regional cooperation in the social sector.

The Prime Minister also said that as decided by the 11th summit, common positions have been evolved and presented at major international conferences since January this year, and a SAARC common position on agriculture was evolved on the sidelines of the fao regional meeting in Kathmandu and presented at the World Food Summit in Rome.

The SAARC common position on sustainable development will be present at the World Summit on Sustabable Development to be held next month in Johannesburg, he said.

Deuba said the llth summit had agreed to a long-term vision of a South Asian Economic Union in order to fulfill the shared aspirations of our peoples for a more prosperous South Asia through the acceleration of negotiations on the fourth round of SAPTA and the conclusion of the SAFTA treaty framework by the end of this year.

In view of our renewed commitments and pledges to enhance cooperation, we have to take decisive steps to make forward movement in this area, he said and urged the SAARC Council of Ministers to inject dynamism to achieve the already agreed goals.

Chairman of the 23rd session of the SAARC Council of Ministers and Minister for Health Sharat Singh Bhandari said the Council would review progress in implementation, adding that the Prime Minister's statement will set the tone of its discussions.

The SAARC Council of Ministers meets in between SAARC summit conferences.

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