SAARC Summit Begins, PM Calls for Greater Regional Cooperation

As the 16th SAARC summit begins in Thimphu, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has pitched for freer movement of goods, services and people across South Asia, warning that region faces the risk of ‘marginalisation and stagnation’ if member countries fail to build SAARC a group better connected and better empowered, said media reports.

Addressing the summit attended by leaders from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives, Singh regretted that the region has far low share of intra-regional trade, investment in total trade and investment flow as compared to East and South-East Asia, reports said.

“The 21st century cannot be an Asian century unless South Asia marches together,” Singh was quoted as saying as he highlighted the need for translating regional institutions into activities, conventions into programmes and official statements into popular sentiments.

“I have a vision of inclusive growth in South Asia both within our countries and for the region of South Asia as a whole,” Singh told the summit.

“Regional and sub-regional imbalances in growth affect all of us in varying degrees, and have led to social unrest,” he said, adding, “This will require much greater attention in the future, with an emphasis on development at the grassroots level.”

Singh pressed for more regional cooperation, saying that it would enable freer movement of people, goods, services and ideas, reports said.

“It should help us re-discover our shared heritage and build our common future,” Singh was quoted as saying.

“We must ask ourselves what kind of South Asia we wish to create for our present and future generations? At this anniversary summit we should renew our compact to build a region that is better connected, better empowered, better fed and better educated,” he was quoted as saying.

The prime minister said that South Asia could again become part of global trading routes and networks ‘influence the global discourse’ on issues of concern to the region, said reports.

“If we do not, we run the risk of marginalisation and stagnation,” he was quoted as saying.

(Based on internet reports)