Joint anti-terrorism strategy to help regional development - President
Rajapaksa
[Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 9.30 GMT] 

As the eradication of terrorism from the region will help development, all members should be united in carrying out a joint strategy to defeat terrorism and wipe it out from the region, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa
at the Round Table discussion with all heads of delegations to the 14th SAARC Summit chaired by Indian President Abdul Kalam, at Rashtrapathi Bhawan
yesterday (April 03).

There were extensive discussions at the Round Table on the need to eradicate terrorism from the South Asia region, with overall endorsement by the other leaders of the SAARC countries of the observations made by President Rajapaksa in this regard, at his address to the opening session of the SAARC Summit yesterday.

President Rajapaksa also apprised the other leaders of the SAARC counties of the steps being taken in Sri Lanka to raise the living standards of the rural population.

Indian President Abdul Kalam had expressed his appreciation of the programme being implemented in Sri Lanka for the eradication of poverty. He had said
there was a similar programme in India, under which 700,000 villages were being developed.

The attention of the Round Table was drawn to the need carry out development work targeting the rural populations as the larger proportion of people in this SAARC region lived in rural communities.

All Heads of State and Government and Foreign Ministers attending the SAARC Summit participated in the Round Table discussion.

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Last Updated Date: April 04, 2007 - 9.30 GMT