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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Natural disasters bring challenges for SAARC - President Kumaratunga
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga addressing the 13th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)said that natural disasters bring to the fore important challenges for the SAARC region. "We also remain vulnerable to natural disasters in view of insufficient preparedness in scientific, technological and infrastructural terms...We, therefore, need to enhance regional cooperation, in a comprehensive manner, in terms of awareness, early warning, emergency relief, and long-term rehabilitation in order to complement the national efforts", she stressed. Sri Lanka's vision looks beyond regional cooperation in trade under SAFTA, towards a future of eventful economic integration in the region, she added. She also expressed hpe that the SAARC region will be fully integrated into a future global architechture consisting of major trade blocs. " An Asian community which wil linclude the SAARC region for example, will contitute the largest consumer conglomerate in the world" she said. She also called for a "road map" for South Asian economic integration. Experience in other regions whether in the case of the European Union, the African Union or ASEAN, tell us that economic integration paves the way for political union, she added. She expressed hope that member states would take appropriate measures to implement the provisions of the SAFTA Agreement so that it comes into effect from January 1, 2006. |
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