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Gayoom for investment in education, human resources

UNB, Dhaka
Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has underscored the need for achieving the Saarc's principal objective of higher levels of economic and social development in order to improve the quality of life of the peoples of the region.
“As we cross another milestone in the history of our association, it is vital that we focus our energies on attaining this supreme objective. This is the only guarantee to ensure peace, stability and progress in our region,” he said while addressing the inaugural session of the 13th Saarc Summit yesterday.
President Gayoom, who has the
rare honour of attending all the Saarc summits since its launching in 1985 in Dhaka, said, “South Asia is home to one-fifth of world's population. Our human resources are a great blessing that should make us one of the most vibrant and dynamic regions in the world.”
“For that we need to invest in education and human resource development,” he said, adding, “Saarc countries have many excellent institutions of higher learning. So, greater collaboration in this area can, therefore, release tremendous energies in taking our region forward in leaps and bounds.”
Listing the progress made by Saarc
over the past two decades, the Maldives president referred to the instruments like Saarc Preferential Trading Arrangement (Sapta), South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta), Saarc Social Charter, Saarc Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and Suppression of Drug Trafficking.
He said it has made considerable progress in promoting friendship, peace and prosperity in the region and contributed significantly to the development in social and cultural sectors.
“We should not, however, allow our successes to lull us into complacency,” he said. “We should always keep in mind the challenges that lie ahead and preserve in our endeavours to achieve greater regional cooperation.”
Pleading the involvement of civil society members in promoting and working towards achieving the aims and objectives of Saarc, President Gayoom said the success of the association in all its identified areas largely depends on them.
“Their role must be recognised, synergies built and their energies tapped,” he said.
“We should work harder on strengthening the mutual understanding and goodwill among the peoples of South Asia.”
Stressing the need for cooperation with the other regional and international bodies, he said, “International developments are increasingly impinging on our lives, as the world grows more interdependent. The forces of globalisation make it imperative to look for ways in which Saarc could intensify cooperation with other regional and international organisations.”