Leaders of South Asian nations wound up a two-day summit meeting here Sunday afternoon, pledging to render more efforts to ensure food security and combat terrorism in the region.
During the 15th SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit, which was held on Aug.2-3, heads of state or government of eight SAARC member countries tried to chart a clearer path for the bloc.
SAARC groups eight countries of South Asia, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
FOOD SECURITY CONCERN
Along with many issues discussed at the summit, food security was one of the heated topics as the region has a population of about 1.5 billion population, or one fifth of the world population.
(L-R) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shake hands as Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani watch during the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit opening ceremony in Colombo, August 2, 2008. The leaders of South Asia called for fighting terrorism together as a regional summit overshadowed by worsening ties between India and Pakistan, its biggest members, opened on Saturday. "Given the seriousness of the subject of food security, we have felt that it deserves to be addressed through a special statement," Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his closing address of the summit.
In the Colombo Statement on Food Security, the SAARC leaders affirmed their resolve to ensure the region-wide food security by directing an extraordinary meeting of the agriculture ministers of the SAARC member states later this year in New Delhi, India, to evolve and implement a short to medium term regional strategy and collaborative projects.
"We direct that the SAARC Food Bank be urgently operationalized," the SAARC leaders said in the statement. The idea of forming the SAARC Food Bank is to store stocks for distribution in case of a particular scarcity within the South Asian region.
"We further direct that SAARC region should forge greater cooperation with the international community to ensure food availability and nutrition security in South Asia," said the statement.
ENERGY WORRIES
While racking their mind to ensure food supply for the 1.5 billion people in the region, the booming demands for energy also posed big challenge to the region.
The escalation of fuel prices has created problems to sustain economic growth of South Asia while the rise in food prices has put questions on the very livelihood of our people, Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said at the summit.
"Our vulnerability to these shocks is more than that of many other countries," he noted.
Koirala's worries were widely seen among other SAARC leaders, who noted in the Colombo Declaration that increased access to energy is critical for fulfilling the legitimate expectations of growth and development in South Asia.
"The escalation of oil prices threatens both the energy security of the region, as well as the economic growth," said the declaration.
SAARC leaders recognized in the declaration the need to develop and conserve the conventional sources of energy and to build up renewable alternative energy resources including indigenous hydro power, solar, wind and bio while introducing energy reforms, energy efficiency and the trade and sharing of technology and expertise.
ANTI-TERROR DETERMINATION
The SAARC leaders also expressed deep concern over the threat posed by terrorism to the peace of the region.
Addressing the closing session of the summit, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa pointed out that terrorism had become a great menace throughout the world including the South Asia.
"South Asia cannot progress, unless there is stability and security throughout the region," Rajapaksa said, adding that the summit endorsed the Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in recognition of this reality.
It was agreed at the summit that the member states of SAARC should firmly operate through the exchange of information on terrorism.
At least half of the SAARC member countries are baffled with terrorist attacks. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said in his opening speech at the summit that each country in the region should combat terrorism independently as well as collectively.
The leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthen the legal regime against terrorism, according to the Colombo Declaration issued by the summit.
"They emphasized the need for strongest possible cooperation inthe fight against terrorism and trans-national organized crime amongst the relevant agencies of the member states especially in the area of information exchange," said the declaration.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley, Bangladeshi Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and Sri Lankan President Mahinha Rajapaksa attended the 15th SAARC Summit.
Representatives from China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Republic of Korea and the United States also participated in the 15th SAARC Summit as observers.
The summit decided to move the 16th SAARC to the Maldivian capital Male next year.
Source:Xinhua
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