& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Forge economic integration for political harmony

Kumaratunga underlines need for common market

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has emphasised establishing a common market of the Saarc countries to forge economic integration of the region which, she hoped, will pave the way for political harmony.
The Saarc leaders should “move beyond the confines of conventional differences and be pro-active and creative to maximise economic opportunities and to harmonise political views” Kumaratunga said
addressing the inaugural session of the 13th Saarc summit at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital yesterday.
“We must make this summit outcome a bold statement of our commitment to build a South Asia in which political harmony and economic integration would form the cornerstone of development, prosperity and peace,” she said.
“I do not want to understate Saarc achievements, nor do I want to overstate the challenges that remain.”
The Sri Lankan president went on,
“There is a public perception that our many achievements appear small against Saarc's enormous potential and that we have yet to do enough to keep pace with a rapidly globalising world where knowledge, economy, technology and unhindered crosspollination of human creativity have become the driving forces.”
Kumaratunga hoped that the upcoming Saarc finance ministers' meeting will work out the modalities of having a common market in the region that will ultimately lead to the creation of a South Asian Economic Union.
On Safta, she hoped that the member states will take necessary steps so that some of the contentious issues concerning it are sorted out quickly and the much- talked- about agreement will come into effect from January 1 next year.
Implentation of Safta will create an atmosphere where people, investment and trade in goods and services will have unhindered mobility across national boundaries, the Sri Lankan president thought.
She urged the leaders of the Saarc states to look beyond economic integration and work for a mutually supportive process of strengthening the physical, legal and technical infrastructure and overall connectivity in the region.
Underlining the need for pragamatic approaches to trade and commerce, and social progress, Kumaratunga observed, “It will bring out the collective strengths of the people of the region -- leaders, policy makers, entrepreneurs, professionals, thinkers, academicians and civil society representatives-- in fulfilling the essential principles enshrined in the Saarc Social Charter”.
Mentioning the success of the European Union, African Union and Asean, Kumaratunga expected that Saarc can also immensely benefit the people of the region.
She noted that the energy pipeline from West Asia running through several Saarc countries, a road network through the ESCAP region and opening up of international borders following the recent earthquake are marks of improved political climate of the region. The long held ethnic differences would be obliterated by mutual understanding and solidarity, she hoped.
She emphasised strengthening the Saarc Secretariat both in terms of capacity building and its proactive approaches to implement the decisions taken at the political level. For this, it should be provides with necessary resources, efficient manpower and required authority, she felt.