KATHMANDU (NEPAL): In the upcoming 18th summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the regional cooperation will get priority which was the prime objective of this organization at the time of its inception.
However, Bangladesh will attach special importance on inter-country connectivity.
Besides, Bangladesh will raise the issues of economic and energy cooperation, disaster management, security, education, agriculture, rural development, climatic change, science and technology.
It will also put forward proposals for making SAARC more dynamic.
The 18th SAARC summit will be held in Katmandu on November 26 and 27. The last minute preparation is going on there. The foreign ministry officials of the SAARC countries are visiting Katmandu frequently.
The authorities concerned informed the media that even after the founding of thirty years the door of cooperation has yet to be open wide among the member countries.
So, this time there will be endeavors to enhance the confidence and increase close connections.
The issues of regional cooperation including citizen to citizen connections and removal of the business barriers will also come up.
It is learnt that there was discussions about using motorway and rail connections which are likely to be approved in the summit.
Regarding introduction of motorway, the countries have become unanimous. If the pact is implemented then moving of private cars, commercial passenger buses, ambulances and business cargos will be possible.
Bangladesh will also raise the pact of youth charter. On the basis of earlier decision, the country will attach importance on inter-country connections.
Bangladesh thinks that these issues will be raised at foreign ministers level.
As the government of Norendra Modi has expressed his determination about building close relations with the neighboring countries, the upcoming SAARC summit is very significant.
Modi invited the SAARC leaders in his own oath taking ceremony.
On the other hand, the host Nepal also expects that SAARC will be more dynamic.
The South Asian leaders will take steps to implement the various understandings and pacts in the summit.
While speaking to banglanews, the international advisor of Nepalese Prime Minister Dinesh Bhattayroy said that SAARC was established with the objectives of increasing the friendly relations including economic, social and cultural developments between the member countries.
Though the member countries are geographically close neighbors, the relations are not easy to the expected level.
A SAARC secretariat official said that the volume of business among the member countries is less than 5 percent.
The main reason is inter-country barriers, the official thinks.
Interestingly, the main objective of the organization was to increase the business and regional cooperation.
The official hoped that the SAARC leaders will take steps to increase the inter-country connectivity.
According to the information received from Nepal foreign ministry sources, the summit will take off on November 22 with the meetings of joint secretaries of the member countries.
The foreign secretary level meetings will be held on November 23 and 24. The foreign minister level meeting will be held on November 25. This meeting will finalize the agenda of the summit.
Bangladesh will be represented by it foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali.
He will raise his country’s position on the importance of strengthening the inter-regional connectivity.
A source added that the issue of security will also get importance in this summit.
A huge preparation is underway in Nepal for the summit.
The government of Prime Minister Shushil Kumar Kairala has formed a national core organizing committee and a sub-committee.
Nepal foreign ministry informed the media that all preparations are complete now.
The eight-member SAARC comprises of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
There are nine observers including China and Japan.
SAARC was founded on December 8 in 1985 in Dhaka with the objective of bringing the South Asian countries closer in regional, economic, social and cultural sectors.
The founding members of SAARC are Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan.
Afghanistan was the last country inducted as a member in 2007.
The SAARC summit is held every year. However, this summit of SAARC leaders will be held after two years.
The last SAARC summit was held in 2011 at the tourist city Maldives, Oddu. Due to internal political situation in Nepal the summit was delayed by one year.
However, the date of the summit was finalized on last February 20 at a meeting of the SAARC foreign ministers held at Bandos of Maldives.
BDST: 1729 HRS, NOV 02, 2014
