Sri Lanka wholly with BIMSTEC against terrorism and organized crime
- President Rajapaksa
"Sri Lanka wholeheartedly supports the BIMSTEC
Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism,
Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking as an important and vital
milestone in our efforts on counter terrorism," said President Mahinda
Rajapaksa addressing the 2nd Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), at New
Delhi today(Nov 13).
"Terrorist groups are able to sustain themselves by
illegal fundraising, narcotics and people trafficking, money laundering
using international networks, and arms and ammunition smuggling
including through the sea routes in the Bay of Bengal. I urge you to
consider setting up a mechanism to effectively police the seas of the
Bay of Bengal, to deny these terrorists mobility and connectivity.
"For over two decades, Sri Lanka has been facing a
tremendous challenge to our democratic way of life through the barbaric
actions of a terrorist group, the LTTE. There is no doubt that such
groups have to be dealt with militarily. At the same time Sri Lanka
believes that any underlying causes, exploited by the terrorists in an
attempt to seek legitimacy for their operations, should be dealt with
politically. I wish to assure this august gathering that we are firmly
on the path to a political solution," President Rajapaksa said.
He added that: "While the BIMSTEC nations have
constructively and prudently engaged in the process of globalization,
nevertheless the economic challenges faced by many of our major trading
partners, will inevitably have some impact on our own pace of
growth....The situation has therefore made all of us very much aware of
the protection that regional self-reliance can afford, against global
economic uncertainties."
Here is the text of President Rajapaksa's
statement;
Your Excellency, Dr. Manmohan Singh,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
On this landmark occasion of the Second BIMSTEC Summit
in New Delhi, I express my deep appreciation to His Excellency Dr.
Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and the Government of India for
the warm and gracious hospitality extended to me and my delegation and
for the excellent Summit arrangements. I felicitate His Excellency the
Prime Minister of India on his unanimous election as Chairperson of
BIMSTEC.
May I also take this opportunity to congratulate Your
Excellency Dr Manmohan Singh, the Government and the people of India on
your great achievement of launching the "Chandrayaan". We, as South
Asians take pride in this achievement.
I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the
continuous and remarkable contribution made by the Government of
Thailand, and for having played the role of sheet anchor in the absence
of a permanent secretariat during all these years.
This is the first BIMSTEC Summit that I am attending
as the President of Sri Lanka. I wish to reiterate my commitment to
furthering the objectives of the Grouping. I propose that we meet
bi-annually as originally envisaged.
Our Summit is taking place at a time when an
international financial crisis, originating in Western capital markets,
is sweeping across the world. While the BIMSTEC nations have
constructively and prudently engaged in the process of globalization,
nevertheless the economic challenges faced by many of our major trading
partners, will inevitably have some impact on our own pace of growth.
The situation has therefore made all of us very much
aware of the protection that regional self-reliance can afford, against
global economic uncertainties. Our host India, with its vast capacity
and economic potential can indeed serve as an engine, driving and
guiding us to withstand the fallout of the global crisis while ushering
prosperity for our region.
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
Poverty is an issue for not just some countries of our
Group, but for a significant part of the world population. The recently
concluded Ministerial Meeting on Cooperation in Poverty Alleviation,
manifests the importance that BIMSTEC attaches to this subject. In
addition, the fisheries and agriculture sectors which have great
potential for poverty alleviation merit the strongest possible focus by
BIMSTEC.
The alleviation of poverty forms one of the core
objectives of my government. After three years of active implementation,
a majority of the proposals contained in the 'Mahinda Chintana' which is
my election manifesto, have delivered many benefits to my people. A
number of poverty alleviation programmes, both direct and indirect,
indeed have proved to be success stories, and have empowered the rural
people. Sri Lanka will continue to share her experiences in this field
with the other Member States, while contributing whole-heartedly to the
collective effort against poverty.
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
Achieving energy security has come to the forefront of
the global agenda and has posed a tremendous challenge, particularly to
developing countries. Oil prices have increased significantly since
2002, although there has been a decline in the prices in recent weeks.
Our efforts at developing alternate forms of energy
such as solar, wind and bio-fuels for domestic consumption and for use
by industry must remain paramount. However, we do not support the use of
arable land to produce bio fuels to drive cars.
As the lead country for BIMSTEC cooperation in
Technology, Sri Lanka urges that the highest priority should be assigned
to the BIMSTEC initiatives for the establishment of the Energy Centre
and the Trans Power Exchange and Development Project.
The promotion of trade among us is an important means
for regional development and growth. The operationalization of the
BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement, has despite our best efforts been delayed.
Nevertheless, we are all looking forward to the timely finalization of
an Agreement that provides for all Members equitable benefits. We are
pleased that Sri Lanka had been unanimously elected to continue as the
Chair of the Trade Negotiating Committee.
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
It is in our collective interest to pursue initiatives
to promote inter and intra-regional tourism. The move to establish a
Tourism Information Centre and very importantly, a Tourism Fund is
commendable. We should also seriously consider the joint marketing of
the BIMSTEC region as one destination.
In this regard, I am pleased to announce that Sri
Lanka looks forward to contributing to regional familiarization tour
programmes, conducted with the collaboration of fellow Member States.
Furthermore, the Sri Lanka Hotel School is ready to extend opportunities
for nationals of member states to follow its internationally acclaimed
training programmes.
The establishment of the Cultural Industries
Observatory in Bhutan is a significant development. I am confident that
such measures will contribute immensely to the development of the
tourism industry in the region including in pilgrimage tourism.
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
Sri Lanka wholeheartedly supports the BIMSTEC
Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism,
Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking as an important and vital
milestone in our efforts on counter terrorism.
Terrorist groups are able to sustain themselves by
illegal fundraising, narcotics and people trafficking, money laundering
using international networks, and arms and ammunition smuggling
including through the sea routes in the Bay of Bengal. I urge you to
consider setting up a mechanism to effectively police the seas of the
Bay of Bengal, to deny these terrorists mobility and connectivity.
For over two decades, Sri Lanka has been facing a
tremendous challenge to our democratic way of life through the barbaric
actions of a terrorist group, the LTTE. There is no doubt that such
groups have to be dealt with militarily. At the same time Sri Lanka
believes that any underlying causes, exploited by the terrorists in an
attempt to seek legitimacy for their operations, should be dealt with
politically. I wish to assure this august gathering that we are firmly
on the path to a political solution.
We welcome the consensus on establishing a
Secretariat. This will give the necessary institutional strength. Sri
Lanka is ready, in a spirit of commitment to the success of the BIMSTEC
process, to host the Secretariat in Colombo.
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
By founding this grouping, we have united in a
community of littoral and hinterland states of the Bay of Bengal.
Through our efforts in BIMSTEC, we must resolutely ensure that our
peoples would be the beneficiaries of a number of freedoms, including
most importantly, freedom from the fear of terrorism and freedom from
hunger and poverty. We owe them no less.
May the blessings of the Noble Triple Gem be with you.
Thank you. |
