|
|
 |
 |
|||
Following are some excerpts of her speech: On 8th December 1985 the Heads of State of the seven South Asian countries signed a charter to establish the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) to promote peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through regional co-operation. The past 15 years have witnessed the steady growth of SAARC, initially from an organisation which focused on technical issues into one that reached agreement to establish a preferential trading arrangement looking towards the ultimate goal of establishing a South Asian free trade area while also addressing major issues such as poverty alleviation, terrorism, drug trafficking and those related to vulnerable segments of society, women and children in particular. In the context of a global village, SAARC has also reached out to other regional groups and formally established links with organisations such as European Union, CIDA, UNESCO, ESCAP, UNCTAD, WHO, UNDP, SAARC has formed a link with Japan which provides funds for specific SAARC activities. It is also encouraging to see the gradual realisation of the aspirations of the founding fathers of the SAARC movement to bring the region together through contact between its people. Two apex bodies have been formed, the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SAARCLAW. Like-minded people in SAARC member countries belonging to the professions of accountancy, architecture, medicine, town planning, engineering as well as university women, writers, members of the film, broadcasting and television industries etc, have joined hands to give SAARC a people's outlook. It is evident that soon the people of South Asia will play a prominent and active role in determining not only their own but the future of SAARC. As the Chair of SAARC, Sri Lanka is deeply committed to moving the SAARC process forward. It is with that objective in view that we initiated action to hold an extraordinary meeting of the SAARC member countries at a senior officials' level in Colombo last month. We look forward to continuing this process as regular meetings of the member countries would, no doubt, besides facilitating the functional process of co-operation, build confidence among the member states of SAARC. I look forward to the next SAARC summit in Kathmandu to work out new strategies to bring peace and prosperity to our peoples in the near future."
|
|
In a
message to mark the 15th anniversary of the Signing of the SAARC Charter,
President Kumaratunga said yesterday that Sri Lanka is deeply committed to
moving the SAARC process forward.
Contact Information: Send mail to