Milestone in SAARC history

The 15th Summit of SAARC Heads of State in Colombo has been hailed as a resounding success. Despite security threats by the most ruthless terrorist organisations in the world - the LTTE and Al Qaeda, certain doubts over the participation of a few Heads of State and malicious political campaigns by the Opposition were dispelled and the Government hosted the most successful SAARC Summit.

All visiting Heads of State of the seven SAARC countries and their delegates hailed the 2008 Colombo Summit as the best and the most successful ever in the history of South Asian regional body. It was indeed a creditable achievement for Sri Lanka as the Summit was hosted at a time the Security Forces are engaged in a relentless battle against terrorism.

Another milestone in the SAARC history was achieved yesterday with the signing of four significant regional agreements.

Especially, the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with the significant inclusion of a regional framework for cooperation in tackling terrorism, and the setting up of a SAARC Development Fund to provide financial assistance for economic, social and infrastructure development projects in the region were notable achievements for the betterment of the region.

From Afghanistan’s point of view, its accession to the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) would be a big boost for the Afghan economy.

The SAARC Summit provided a platform for the eight countries in the region to further develop their bilateral relations and also stand as an emerging force in South Asia. Even the ‘big countries’ endorsed the importance of the South Asian body by sending observers for the Colombo Summit.

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh made an important observation during his bilateral discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Dr. Singh said one cannot envisage a prosperous India without strong links with her neighbours, and the 15th SAARC Summit provided an opportunity for such a partnership.

While congratulating the Sri Lankan Government for the excellent arrangements for the SAARC Summit, Dr. Singh said India gives the highest importance to her relations with Sri Lanka. The Indian Premier said that the discussions at the SAARC Summit under President Rajapaksa’s leadership were of historic significance.

The importance of India and the helping hand extended by India over the past several decades as the big brother of South Asia goes without saying. The two countries had centuries-old ties, and the prosperity of the two nations was closely linked.

The SAARC Summit also provided a fine opportunity for Sri Lanka to further strengthen her relations with Pakistan, which has strongly backed President Rajapaksa in his battle to eradicate terrorism. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani assured President Rajapaksa of his fullest support for the steps taken by Sri Lanka to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It was a pity that the UNP-led Opposition threw all diplomatic protocol to the winds to launch a malicious campaign against the SAARC Summit. Hosting an important Summit of this nature to strengthen ties with our neighbouring countries is of utmost importance. The success of such a Summit is not only a credit to the Government but also to the entire country.

Unfortunately, the UNP could not see things in its true perspective. They indulged in a mud-slinging political campaign against the Government and the hosting of the SAARC Summit. Their accusation was that the Government was spending a colossal sum of money to host the SAARC Summit.

But what they hid from the masses was the fact that a major portion of that budgetary allocation was spent on infrastructure development such as development of the road network and renovation of the BMICH, which were a good investment for the future.

Though the UNP did everything in its power to fool people by painting a gloomy picture of the SAARC Summit, the masses were acutely aware of the importance of strengthening relations with our neighbouring countries, especially at a time when our gallant Security Forces are on the verge of eliminating the Tiger power from the Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts.

While the UNP shouted from the rooftops that the public was inconvenienced by the closure of the roads, the JVP made a big hue and cry alleging that India would send its troops to Sri Lanka on the pretext of the SAARC Summit. But the Police and the Security Forces handled the issue well and minimised public inconvenience. The JVP too had to eat humble pie eventually.

Doubts were raised in certain quarters over the participation of Heads of State from India, Afghanistan and Nepal. Two Indian cities were hit by a series of terrorist bomb explosions about a week ago. On the other hand, the Afghan leader is under constant threat of Al Qaeda terrorists.

There was also a dispute in Nepal on who should represent the Head of State. Therefore, providing the maximum security for the leaders of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan was imperative. Sri Lanka met all these challenges successfully and the SAARC Summit culminated on a positive note.

The Summit concludes today with special emphasis on the issues of terrorism, poverty alleviation, food and energy security, and climate change. These are five major challenges which the eight countries in the region face and a collective effort should be made to overcome these barriers. Terrorism, especially has been a threat not only to this part of the world but also to the US and the UK.

The resounding achievements of the Colombo SAARC Summit, which enhanced the relations amongst the eight countries, would not doubt open a new chapter in South Asia.

If the eight countries in South Asia unite for peace and stand together it could well become a superpower in the no too distant future. A greater understanding amongst the eight countries is vital if SAARC is to emerge as a new world force.