NATIONAL 4 - (Spotlight Weekly)

‘SAARC Should Focus Its Attention On A Few Core Areas'

— KAMAL THAPA

KAMAL THAPA, spokesman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), the third largest group in parliament, is a former foreign minister. He spoke to SPOTLIGHT on the upcoming 11th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Excerpts:

How do you see the forthcoming SAARC summit in Kathmandu?

I am glad that the 11th SAARC Summit is finally taking place. Despite many commonalties among the seven nations of South Asia, it has not been able to project itself as a cohesive regional grouping. There is tremendous potential in South Asia. However, so far we have not been able to exploit it to the benefit of nearly one billion poverty-stricken people of our region. The seven nations' regional economic co-operation outfit, which was created about sixteen years ago, has not been able to stand up to expectations due to many seen and unseen factors. It has gone through many ups and downs. But, any way, the disrupted 11th SARC Summit seems now is set to take off. In the given political and security situation of South Asia, I would like to advise not to expect too much out of the forthcoming summit.

As a former foreign minister, do you see the possibility of any new agreement on regional cooperation?

I do not see the possibility of any extraordinary breakthrough. Of course, there will be no dearth of rhetoric from the participating dignitaries during the summit. Apart from some routine and general type of agreement, I think, nothing tangible will emerge. However, I do expect some sort of commitments on combating terrorism, which the leaders cannot afford to ignore in the present regional and international context.

How important is it for Nepal to host the 11th SAARC summit?

It is a matter of great pride for Nepal. Being a founding member of the SAARC Nepal has always played a significant role in strengthening the regional organization. Late King Birendra contributed a lot in laying the foundation as well as in the promotion of SAARC. We strongly believe that only through effective regional cooperation can we solve the acute problems plaguing the region. Moreover, after the 11th summit, Nepal will get an opportunity to lead the organization until the next summit. This is a great prestige for Nepal. We can use this opportunity to further strengthen SAARC.

Will the ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan have any impact on the summit?

India and Pakistan both are members of the SAARC. Differences and disputes between them have tremendously affected the SAARC process in the past and definitely the present crisis will have some negative impact on the future of the organization.

As continuing hostility between the two big powers in South Asia often disturbs the SAARC, do you see any future for this regional association?

There is no doubt that the nature of bilateral relations will have some effect in regional or multilateral forums. After all, the foreign policy of any country is the reflection of its domestic policy. However, if we believe that regional cooperation is a necessity, then the concerned parties should try to ensure that bilateral dispute would not take hostage the regional process. Moreover, summits like this provide opportunities for consultation and dialogue. India and Pakistan should utilize the SAARC summit for narrowing their differences. The international community and the one billion-plus people of this region are closely watching the Kathmandu summit. Whether the leaders of the region will rise to the occasion or remain complacent with rituals will be known shortly. Let us hope that under the blue sky of Kathmandu's winter, leaders will be able to explore new grounds for peace and cooperation. In whatever way the forthcoming summit ends, however, the process of regional co-operation will continue. The most significant contribution of the Kathmandu summit will be to let the ball get rolling. Even if we fail to get a breakthrough this time, I am confident that the future of SAARC is bright.

What benefits can smaller countries like Nepal get from the SAARC?

All the seven countries of SAARC will benefit from regional cooperation regardless of their size and strength.

What are the important areas for regional cooperation? As all South Asian countries are facing problems of terrorism, do you see the possibility of joint regional cooperation to tackle terrorism?

In the past, possibly because of over-enthusiasm we tried to cover as many areas as possible. That proved unrealistic. It is about time that we review our past performance and concentrate on a few core areas like trade, water resources, transport, and tourism. Combating terrorism should be another area of our focus. Similarly, emphasis should given to promote people to people contact. In Male, during the ninth summit, we had formed a Group of Eminent Person (GEP) to recommend a perspective plan for SAARC. GEP has already presented its report in the tenth Colombo summit. However, due to time constraints, leaders could not take any decision then. I am sure the Kathmandu summit will consider that report. Regarding terrorism, I expect that forthcoming summit will come out with firm commitments and specific measures to counter this menace. Almost all countries of South Asia suffer from terrorism. The intensity of the problem may vary, but no country of the region is completely free from this threat. Because of many factors the terrorist movements of the region over the years have developed some form of linkages and networking. Therefore, the nature of the threat demands collective action for the long-term resolution of the problem. During the third summit in Kathmandu in 1987, the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism was adopted. However, it lacked teeth. From the third to eleventh summit we have traversed a long journey. Enriched with experiences and concerned with the current reality, I am sure now we are in better position to take tough measures.

How do you find the preparations for the summit? Are you satisfied?

I am fully satisfied with the preparations made by His Majesty's Government and the SAARC Secretariat. They are being done according to international norms and agreed practices of SAARC.

What is the reaction of your party to the 11th SAARC summit?

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party is fully committed to make the 11th summit a great success. The RPP wants to see SAARC as a strong and vibrant regional organization, because we firmly believe it could be a vehicle in fostering peace and bringing prosperity in the region. We will accord total and unconditional support for the success of Kathmandu summit.