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SAARC |
Final Preparations The South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation celebrates 16 years of existence amid little concrete success By A CORRESPONDENT
After a nearly three-year
postponement, members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are
finally preparing for their 11th summit. But the meeting is mired in the kind of
unpredictability the region’s monsoon season is known for. As relations between the
two largest and most powerful members, India and Pakistan, are yet to normalize, one
cannot rule out the possibility of another postponement. Whatever the situation, the Nepalese
government is making every effort to successfully hold the 11th SAARC summit in Kathmandu.
Invitations have already been delivered to all the heads of the state/government of the
region and work is under way on the draft of a final declaration. "The SAARC leaders will discuss a
number of issues, including terrorism, free trade, poverty alleviation, during the 11th
summit," said Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, addressing a program marking the
16th anniversary of the signing of the SAARC charter. Although the government is yet to finalize
the agenda, the summit is expected to witness the signing of a number of agreements,
including those against the abuse of women and children for facilitating free trade in
region. "The 11th summit will open the way for
greater regional cooperation in South Asia," said Prime Minister Deuba. "SAARC
leaders will discuss issues of mutual concern, including terrorism in South Asia, as
almost all countries in the region have been facing similar types of problems," he
said. The government has already started
expanding the capital’s roads and refurbishing other infrastructure, apart from
beautifying the city. It has also beefed up security in and around the capital. The
government heaved a sigh of relief on the security front after the imposition of the state
of emergency, especially since it gives enormous power to the executive to hold the summit
peacefully. |
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