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MR tells SAARC to be bold

28 April 2010 11:15 am - 15     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his address at the 16th SAARC Summit at Thimphu, Bhutan this evening urged the South Asian grouping to be more bold and strive to avoid externally induced rigid solutions from the West
 
President Rajapaksa said that despite many examples of the achievements gained within the SAARC region, South Asia sometimes underestimate it's collective strength and tends to discount the resources and skills it has, that can meet South Asia's development challenges as well as it's social and security needs. 

"In fact, we often tend to provide priority to our engagements with extra regional actors, without devoting sufficient attention to further developing and strengthening the links within our own regional organization," President Rajapaksa said.

"Therefore, let us within our own grouping be bold enough to introspect.  We must take measures to improve the existing mechanisms through review, rationalisation and reinvigoration.  If there is a need, we should not hesitate to build new structures and mechanisms, to enable SAARC to reach its full potential," he said.

"As regards the world outside our region, the need of the hour is for SAARC to enhance its collective interactions on global issues.  We must uphold our sovereign right to decide on what is best for us.  We must strive to avoid externally induced rigid solutions.  We must rather rally behind home grown and intra-regionally evolved measures.  Towards this end, we should now endeavour to strengthen the mechanisms to speak with one voice on issues of common concern for our region in international fora, in particular at the United Nations," he added.

He also noted that the most effective means at to make SAARC an even more robust organisation is to link seamlessly the processes and activities of regional cooperation, with the aspirations of the mass of the South Asian people.

"Towards this end, let us see how like in several other areas of the world that have embarked on regional cooperation, we can best draw on the democratic and participatory tradition collectively represented by the Parliamentarians of South Asia, to boost the progress of SAARC.  I would hope that indeed the time is not too distant, when we may within our region, envisage a regular Conclave of SAARC Parliamentarians.  Such a Conclave will further engage the support and involvement of the People’s Representatives.  It will thereby make SAARC popular within the region.  The goal must be for SAARC to become truly people centric," President Rajapaksa added. (Daily Mirror online)



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  Comments - 15

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  • Wednesday, 28 April 2010 12:20 PM

    Good on ya mate! Well done MR!

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 12:22 PM

    brave words from a brave leader who leads by example! saarc shud flw his words.

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 12:58 PM

    UN must appoint an expert panel to investigate what`s happening in SAARC with MR statement.
    like appointing expert panel to eradicate terrorism from SL
    by MR.

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 01:02 PM

    yes.. lets start talking on our own languages.. we don;t need english anymore...

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 01:03 PM

    Mahinda Mama now senior enough to teach few lessons to many in the world!!! Well done.

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 01:12 PM

    first saarc parliamentarian..will be a Mr. Rajapakse... first name yet to be determined.

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 02:18 PM

    When people of SAARC countries travelling to SL they dont need visa to visit us (visa on arrival). But when we travel to other SAARC countries this is not the case (India specially). Now the terror war is over, president or authorities must address this issue.

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 04:42 PM

    'Good' idea - no one will understand each other if the different leaders speak their own languages.

    Wednesday, 28 April 2010 05:28 PM

    Well done, Mr. President!

    Thursday, 29 April 2010 02:57 AM

    Is China & Iran in SAARC? unfortunately the whole of the SAARC India including is dependent on the developed west for FDI and exports, we must be bold but not naive

    Thursday, 29 April 2010 03:20 AM

    Nothing will happen................

    Thursday, 29 April 2010 05:52 AM

    north korea and iran have used much strong words against the west... not a healthy speech ....

    sitting on a chair invented by someone (not these people) ... talking on a microphone (speaker) invented by the west , all gathered in this location with the help of air plane invented by the wast and rest of the things .... now these guys want to lead the world and the west should follow them ... not god bless sri lanka, may god bless asia

    Thursday, 29 April 2010 05:54 AM

    now u are talking sense .... yes

    Thursday, 29 April 2010 06:32 AM

    Our President doesnt understand one thing, all the SARAC countries heavily depend on West for their bussiness. Currently our Presidnet needs the support of SARAC countries to avoid war crime investigations. If Presidnet is anti West why he is seeking to get GSP back?

    Thursday, 29 April 2010 08:24 AM

    Just because West invented those that does not mean they run our country. West has no say at all in what happens in Sri Lanka.


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