THIMPHU (BHUTAN) April 27 - India today urged all South Asian nations to �rally against the forces of terrorism� which have proved divisive to the region�s societies. In his opening remarks at the 32nd session of the SAARC Council of Ministers at Thimphu, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna appealed to fellow leaders to join hands in the fight against terror.
To secure that objective, he noted, early ratification of regional instruments such as the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and early conclusion of the proposed UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism were the required steps.
The Minister stated that India, in cooperation with Sri Lanka, is making efforts at strengthening the SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk along with the SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk to enhance information sharing among concerned agencies.
Although Krishna did not draw special attention to Pakistan in his speech, observers believe that he did bring the spotlight back on that country�s inability to contain terror even after repeated persuasions from different quarters.
His address underlined the importance of the theme of the 16th SAARC Summit � climate change � an issue that endangers lives and livelihoods of the South Asian countries, which already suffer from severe population pressure and resource depletion. �We are happy to support the proposal of the Chair for a Special SAARC Declaration on the theme of climate change to be issued by the Heads of State,� Krishna mentioned.
Expressing support for a redefined SAARC position on climatic change in accordance with international UN principles and the Bali Action Plan, Krishna hoped that the talks on climate change would emerge fruitful.
Describing the Thimphu summit as important, he reasoned that 2010 marks 25 years of SAARC�s establishment and is also the first summit to be hosted in Bhutan. It will also add momentum to the process of SAARC institution building in the form of SAARC Development Fund (SDF) Secretariat which is being inaugurated in Thimphu.
The Minister, saying that two SAARC Agreements, one on Environment, and other on Trade in Services, will be signed during the summit, was hopeful that SAARC Agreements on Motor Vehicles, Railways and Rapid response to Natural Disasters would be arrived at soon.
Earlier in his speech, Krishna spoke about some of the areas in which SAARC has made �impressive gains� since the time of its inception. He maintained that issues of regional concern such as poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and human trafficking were addressed by SAARC initiatives.
Meanwhile, Pakistani premier Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, has arrived with his official delegation in Thimphu. There are speculations that he and his Indian counterpart might get closeted for discussions on a number of issues after Dr Manmohan Singh lands in Thimphu tomorrow.
