Redouble collective efforts to combat terrorism - President to SAARC
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing the opening
session of the 15th SAARC Summit this morning (August 2) at the
Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, called on the South
Asian leaders attending the summit to commit themselves and their
countries to a more determined and concerted effort to collectively
combat the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestation.
He emphasized that it is the very interdependence
which gave birth to SAARC that has emerged as the crucial factor for
durable peace and the protection of democratic values in the region.
In this regard, President Rajapaksa expressed the need
to ensure strengthening regional legal mechanisms and intensifying
intelligence sharing, in order to secure the region's collective
prosperity, peace and stability, in combating terrorism.
He said it is also necessary that South Asia as a
region, endeavour to set right the many wrong impressions that exist, or
are promoted elsewhere, about the actions that are imperative to protect
our people and societies from the brutalities of terrorism. Terrorism
anywhere is terrorism and there are no good terrorists or bad
terrorists, he emphasized.
The full text of President Rajapaksa's address is
given below:
Address by His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa
At the 15th SAARC Summit, Inaugural Session - August
02, 2008
Your Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
I am honoured and privileged to welcome you to Colombo
for this fifteenth SAARC Summit.
Your presence in our country adds to the historic
importance of this year for us. This year, our nation celebrates the
sixtieth Anniversary of our being freed from the yoke of colonial rule.
Most of the nations of our region share with us the common heritage of
colonial dominance and struggle for freedom to restore our national
dignity and honour.
I consider it my duty on this occasion to express on
behalf of all Member States of SAARC, our deep appreciation for the
dynamic leadership that India has provided to this region and to SAARC
since the fourteenth SAARC Summit in New Delhi.
I would also take this opportunity to welcome and
extend best wishes to the new Secretary General of SAARC, Dr. Sheel Kant
Sharma, while also expressing our appreciation to his predecessor, Mr.
Chenkyab Dorji and the SAARC Secretariat for their dedicated and
invaluable work in preparation for this Summit.
This Colombo Summit takes place amidst a background of
significant political events and major international issues, such as
food and fuel insecurity and degradation of the environment. It is our
responsibility as leaders and representatives of our peoples to give
tangible expression to the SAARC Charter objective of promoting the
welfare and improving the quality of life of our peoples, which remains
at the core of all our common endeavours.
The Delhi Summit launched SAARC as a Partnership for
Prosperity, for the Prosperity of Our People, identifying the importance
of connectivity as a powerful engine of growth. Continuity, consistency
and coordination are all vital to have the desired practical effect
towards our goal of regional economic integration.
However, we must ensure that SAARC becomes more
meaningful to all our people. Therefore, throughout the ensuing year we
have to give SAARC a truly people-centred focus through all its
programmes and mechanisms. It is then that SAARC can become the robust
Partnership for Growth for all our people.
South Asia's continued progress in economic and social
development is a matter of great satisfaction to me. Unemployment in our
country, as well as in the region, has reached historic low levels
leading to declines in overall poverty. South Asia is no more the
poverty trough of the world, although we have yet to eradicate poverty
from our midst.
Yet, for growth to be sustainable, its benefits must
be evenly distributed, pro-poor strategies must be put into place, and
the rural populations that make up the vast majorities in all our
countries, must be empowered ensuring gender equality.
The SAARC Social Charter and our shared experiences
and best practices, already provide a solid foundation to further
strengthen empowerment of the rural people. In our own country, the
Policy Vision of the Mahinda Chintana, my electoral pledge to the people
of Sri Lanka, addresses this issue and seeks to transform current
challenges into opportunities for the upliftment of the rural people.
It is a matter of satisfaction that we are
progressively inaugurating, in each of our countries, SAARC villages as
visible examples of our collective commitment to rural uplift. The most
recent such village was opened on 27th July this year in Nawalapitiya,
in the central hill region of Sri Lanka.
Excellencies and Friends,
As we meet today, most countries of our region are
faced with the curse of terrorism that threatens the peace and stability
that is needed so much for the forward march of our people. No country
in the SAARC region has been spared of this plague. We need to redouble
our efforts for collective action to combat terrorism in all its forms
and manifestations. It is important to remember the element of
interdependence which is crucial for a durable peace and the protection
of democratic values in the region.
We must ensure strengthening regional legal mechanisms
and intensifying intelligence sharing, in order to secure the region's
collective prosperity, peace and stability. Further, I would strongly
suggest that in-depth studies are carried out to understand the social
impact of this menace. Sri Lanka has seen the benefits of such
cooperation in combating the terrorism in our midst and hopefully
eradicating it sooner, than many once expected.
My gratitude must go to all our regional partners and
our many friends from other quarters that have cooperated with us in
this matter. In my view it is also necessary that we, as a region,
endeavour to set right the many wrong impressions that exist, or are
promoted elsewhere, about the actions that are imperative to protect our
people and societies from the brutalities of terrorism. Terrorism
anywhere is terrorism and there are no good terrorists or bad
terrorists.
Excellencies,
Asia's economic surge provides our region with
manifold opportunities. We are on the threshold of a new age the Age of
Asia with South Asia being an important part of it, not only in numbers
but also in skills and the strength of growing economies. Today, Asia is
the economic power house of the world.
In order to ensure that we in the SAARC provide the
necessary thrust for Asia's economic surge, I would once again promote
the idea of SAARC intensifying to the maximum possible its regional
economic and trade integration. We have to set in motion a process of
adopting a single currency in the region. Undoubtedly, full
implementation of the SAFTA and other follow up measures will greatly
facilitate the realisation of this vision. Our region also should assume
a leadership role in the reform of Multi-lateral Financial Institutions.
Today, as never before we are confronted with the
global issues of food and energy insecurity and climate change. Food
prices in international markets have increased by 54 percent in the past
year alone. World oil prices have increased by 300 percent over the past
four years. These are the statistics of near despair. Yet, I believe
that we need not despair. Excellencies,
I propose that we seize this challenge and transform
it into opportunity, with focus on agriculture, on food security that is
largely based on home grown food; that we look at realistic policies on
nutrition, at strategies for development that are least dependent on the
forces of speculation and markets that have no feel for the people.
We must productively use existing mechanisms such as
the SAARC Food Bank and the SAARC Development Fund, for the development
of strategic buffer stocks of our staple foods. Food security is vital
because of its impact on all sectors of national life. It is today
recognised as an essential condition for economic and political
stability.
We also need to act fast on meeting the energy crunch.
There is the necessity to accelerate our plans for South Asian energy
sharing. Knowing that we have to depend on fossil fuels for many more
decades to come, we must explore the use of other sources of energy that
will take us out of the deadly grip of the oil well. However, pursuit on
Bio-fuels must not be at the cost of food crops or arable land.
To take the next leap from fossil fuels to renewable
energy, we have to move with speed on harnessing the Sun, the Sea, and
the Wind resources that all of our countries have in plenty. South Asia
must look at shared research in the areas with potential for local
technologies in harnessing renewable energy.
As we grapple with the issues of food and fuel
security, we will also need to address as a matter of priority, the
looming water deficit in the region. King Parakramabahu, an ancient
ruler of Sri Lanka, advised the people not to allow a single drop of
water to flow into the sea without first being of use to the people. We
must bring a new focus on conservation of water resources to ensure that
South Asia would be the best watered region in the world.
Asia's evolution has been founded on ancient
traditions of environmental sustainability, integrating environmental
responsibility with cultural and religious values. We should go back to
the tradition of sharing that sustained our people in the past, shedding
the tradition of exploitation of nature that came to us from our former
conquerors.
Throughout our region there is increasing movement
from the village to the city, resulting in degradation of the
environment and human dignity. Let us therefore commit ourselves to
upgrade village housing and facilities, through a sound mix of
traditional construction methods and material with modern technology, to
discourage people from moving out of the villages. In the cities, we
need to further evolve models of urban design and housing construction
that strengthen the inherited spirit of social community common to all
our societies.
Excellencies,
The Delhi Summit last year laid stress on
connectivity. Today, we find that with the advances of communications
technology, good connectivity is not very far from our people. Although
the numbers of mobile phone users in South Asia are rapidly increasing
yet, our people remain distanced through the barrier of tariffs. I,
therefore, propose that we actively promote a reduced tariff for IDD
calls within the South Asian region to bring our people much closer,
much sooner.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,
We, in South Asia share a rich and common heritage, a
heritage of understanding and of tolerance, a heritage that respects
learning and wisdom, and takes pride in sharing the bounties of nature.
But for this great heritage that transcends differences and upholds the
value of a shared purpose and existence, our diverse cultures, languages
and religious traditions could have made us the most divided region in
the world. Instead, by and large we see a great harmony among our
peoples.
In my own country, the impact of this common heritage
is best seen today in what we have achieved in the East, where we have
defeated terrorism, restored democracy, elected a Chief Minister from a
minority community who was a former child soldier, and, most of all,
where the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities live together, work
together, and together seek the common goals of progress and prosperity.
This indeed is a unique transformation within a short span of one year.
This is my deep desire for the people in the North as well.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, and friends,
In conclusion ay I say that there must be a spirit of
large heartedness by all including the stronger and wealthier nations,
when some of these crucial issues are addressed. It is my fervent hope
that the Colombo Summit will enable our dialogue with the Observer
States to broaden into a process for constructive consultations, and
project related cooperation in agreed areas. I have no doubt that
together we can make our common endeavours, this Partnership, succeed
for the benefit of all our peoples.
Thank you.
May the Noble Triple Gem Bless you all.
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Sri Lanka
President Mahinda Rajapaksa warmly welcomes the leaders of the
member countries participating for the 15th SAARC summit at BMICH in
Colombo this morning, August 02. |
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Sri Lanka
President Mahinda Rajapaksa warmly welcomes the leaders of the
member countries participating for the 15th SAARC summit at BMICH in
Colombo this morning, August 02. |
Courtesy - Government Information Department
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