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Poverty alleviation tops SAARC summit agenda
Foreign Secretary Reaz Rahman, who Is also the new Chairman of .SAARC Standing Committee, yesterday said that the agenda of the rescheduled Seventh Summit of the regional forum would put emphasis on three core issues of poverty alleviation, economic growth with social Justice and trade within the region, reports BSS.
Describing the core issues as the key challenges of the region. The abode of one billion people with so many of them living below the poverty line, he said that the seven summit leaders of the region would go Into deliberations to chart the course of cooperation for solving these basic problems.
South Asia as a region, he said is facing the problem of achieving growth, both economic and social. He said both poverty alleviation in the region and achievement of socio economic growth could not be possible with Its own resources alone. Il depends on
outside help also.
The question of socio-economic growth, he said, would get priority consideration over other issues.
Country studies he said, were conducted by each member country in 1987 followed by a regional studies on the question of trade within the region and the concept of South Asia Regional Preferential Trade was developed.
The concept he said, now awaits implementation for which the summit leaders will deliberate on the issues related to it.
The summit leaders would, he said, consider among other things the report of the independent South Aslan Commission for Poverty Alleviation, setting up the SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians' Association, the feasibility study of the panel of experts oq South Asia Development Fund (SADF). plan of action for the adoption of SADF, and the plan of action for the observance of
SAARC year of the disabled.
The independent South Asia Commission, he said, has been set up to study on how to bring the marginal pbople in the region Into the mainstream.
The thrust of the summit, he said, would be to bring about a regional commitment for poverty alleviation, deliberate on the national framework and get international support for the cause.
The setting up of infrastructure, identifying priorities, and projects' to be financed from the ' five million dollar South Asia Regional Fund (SARF), established at the Islamabad Summit, will also be considered by the summit, he said.
The South Asia Regional Fund, he said, has started with a seed capital of five million dollars.
He said the pre-feaslbility study on setting up South Asia Development Fund (SADF) was on. He also said Asian Development Bank and other
sources have been requested for fund for it.
The summit, he said, will also consider activating the South Asia food security reserve, now having 224.000 tonnes of foodgrains.
He said the SAARC Council of Ministers had authorised the SAARC Secretary General to Sign an agreement with Japan, which agreed to provide 500.000 dollars to SAARC-Japan special fund for various projects like holding seminars.
Reaz Rahman said that all was set for the two-day summit of the regional forum to begin here on January 13 and the heads of state and government of the region would arrive here on January 12.
He said that the six arriving heads of state and government would be given ceremonial reception between nine am and 10 am on January 13 at the International Conference Centre, the venue of the Seventh SAARC Summit.
At the inaugural session from 10 am to 1 pm all the seven summit leaders of the region would make statements, he said.
It would be followed by election of the new SAARC
Chairman, adoption of the agenda drawn up by the council of ministers, and consideration of the reports, of the last two sessions of the council of ministers as well as various recommendations of the council of ministers. Rahman added.
Before the banquet by the Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia. at 7.30 pm on the inaugural day. there would be time for the summiteers to have bilateral discussions, he said.
The summit, originally scheduled for December 12 and 13 had to be postponed as the Indian Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao expressed his inability to come due to domestic troubles in India that ensued the demolition of the historic Babri Mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu funda-mentalfsts.
Reaz Rahman said the Foreign Ministers of the region as well as the senior officials would again gather here conveniently before the arrival of the summit leaders.
Tt)e summit leaders, he said, would go on a retreat on board the steamer "Ostrich" on January 14.
During the retreat, the summit leaders can discuss anything they like, he said-
On return from the retreat they would, he said, gather for. the hour-long concluding session beginning at 5.30 pm.
The Foreign Secretary said after the concluding session the new SAARC Chairman, Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, would speak at a press conference on the summit.
At 7.30 pm all the summit leaders, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, the King of Bhutan and the presidents of Maldives and Shri Lanka would jointly call on the Bangladesh Pr?-.sident Abdur Rahman Biswas.
At 8 pm the summiteers would attend a dinner to be followed by a cultural function, Reaz Rahman said.
He said that at the concluding session the Chairman of the regional forum. Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, would make a statement as the host of the next summit, the Indian Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao. was likely to make a statement formally announcing the decision to hold the Eighth Summit In his country.
Bhutan would not be able to host the next summit, although It would be turn of that country, because of lack of infrastructural facilities.