Sri Lanka urges SAARC countries to redouble efforts to fight terrorism

February 27, 2009.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the countries in the region need to re-double their efforts to fight the scourge of terrorism. Addressing the two day Inter Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Foreign Ministers in Colombo, he said, terrorism and global financial meltdown are the twin challenges facing before SAARC on Friday. He said that there is a need to redouble the efforts to combat the menace of terrorism individually and collectively and that firm and forceful action is required even at the international level. Calling the instability caused by the financial crisis similar to the threat caused by terrorism to the region, he said that the effects of synchronized slow-down in developed economies, can reach the South Asian region sooner than later. On the global financial melt down, President Rajapaksa said that the depression in the commodity market is adversely affecting this region and is even negating the gains resulting from the declining oil prices. Trade flows, production lines and the service sector are suffering from the domino effect of this crisis and there are looming liquidity problems. He said that unless definite counter measures are taken, this downward spiral has the potential to adversely affect the South Asian economies and impact on the living standards of people.

Dr. Sheel Kant Sharma, Secretary General of SAARC outlined the progress made so far and said that the theme of the Fifteenth Summit is "Partnership for Growth for Our People".

He also informed that the implementation of the first project on Women Empowerment, funded under the Social Window of the SDF(SAARC Development Fund) has commenced. A Second project related to Maternal and Child Health Care is expected to be ready for implementation shortly.

He added that SAARC Goodwill Ambassadors for HIV/AIDS initiative started off in high spirits with the visit of Ms. Shabana Azmi to Kathmandu and received wide public appreciation which should contribute significantly to moving closer to achieving the objectives of the SAARC Regional Strategy on HIV and AIDS.

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