Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh welcomes Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu yesterday. Photo: Courtesy Leaders of South Asian nations will meet in Kathmandu today seeking to stimulate economic growth through liberalised trade and combat challenges of terrorism and climate change. Though the gathering might not dra
w international attention like the G-20 meet in Brisbane, it's still important as the combined economy of Saarc is bigger than any other country, except China and the US, and about half that of European Economic Community. The theme of the 18th summit is “Deeper Regional Integration for Peace and Prosperity” and foreign affairs experts and diplomats of a number of member countries said there have been expectations that the summit will have "breakthroughs" in some areas. The South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit, held after a gap of three years, will mull over a range of crucial issues such as security, improving transport connectivity among the member states and ensuring greater flow of goods and services to boost trade and commerce. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with 63-member power-packed delegation, including Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and top bureaucrats, reached Kathmandu yesterday afternoon. With the two-day Summit set to begin this morning, the foreign ministry said Dhaka was ready to engage and sign three vital agreements should there is consensus among the Saarc countries in the areas of roads and rail connectivity and energy, especially electricity. Hasina will address the inaugural session where she will lay out her vision of what she sees as regional cooperation in South Asia and Bangladesh's importance in connectivity, poverty alleviation, youth development, fighting terrorism and harnessing the development potential of the region. Advertisement Dhaka will focus on 10 core issues for strengthening cooperation. These are: youth development, poverty alleviation, improvement of connectivity, climate change, science and technology, education, women empowerment, food security and combating terrorism. The visit will also have a substantial bilateral component when Hasina on the sidelines will hold bilateral meetings with most leaders, including her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Modi, after becoming the prime minister of India, called for a stronger Saarc and there has been lot of enthusiasm among the member countries about what he brings to the table to make the eight-nation grouping a regional powerhouse and also raise hopes he would reinvigorate the block. The Washington-based Brookings Institution recently said Modi had “boldly stroked new hope for the future of Saarc” after a dismal past performance that earned it a reputation as the “unruly stepchild” of international organisations. Expectations of progress at the summit have dimmed after Saarc Standing Committee meeting on November 23 as some states were yet to complete the internal procedures for signing of three key deals despite strong intent and political commitment among members. The three deals are: Saarc Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger and Cargo Vehicular Traffic amongst Saarc member states, Saarc Regional Railways Agreement and Saarc Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity). Today, the summit will be addressed by all Saarc leaders – Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Nepalese PM Sushil Koirala will host a banquet for them. The following day, the leaders will depart by helicopter for a retreat session at Dawrika Resort in Dhulikhel after which they will comeback to Kathmandu again and join the concluding session from where they adopt the Kathmandu Declaration. This is the third time Nepal hosts the regional summit, follow the 3rd and 11th summits in 1987 and 2002. Born in 1985 in Bangladesh, the Saarc is a regional association of eight South Asian countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined Saarc as its eighth member state in 2007.
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