Reference Text
Time Left10:00
At
the
opening
session
of
the
South
Asian
Association
for
Regional
Cooperation
(SAARC)
Summit
in
Kathmandu,
on
January
5,
2002
the
Prime
Minister
of
India,
Mr.
Atal
Bihari
Vajpayee
conveyed
to
Pakistan
and
its
ally
in
the
war
on
terrorism,
the
U.S.A.
and
others
that
mere
gestures
of
friendship
and
readiness
for
talks
were
futile
if
they
were
not
matched
by
action
to
stop
cross
border
terrorism.
SAARC
signed
two
important
conventions
which
sought
to
prevent
trafficking
of
women
and
children
for
prostitution
and
the
use
of
child
labour
in
the
region.
The
12th
SAARC
was
hosted
by
Pakistan
in
Islamabad
in
June
2004.
Bangladesh
was
the
host
for
the
13th
SAARC
Summit
held
in
Dhaka
from
November
12
13,
2005.
The
14th
South
Asian
Association
for
Regional
Cooperation
Summit
(SAARC)
was
held
in
New
Delhi
during
April
3
4,
2007.
In
his
inaugural
address,
Prime
Minister
Dr.
Manmohan
Singh
announced
unilateral
liberalistion
of
visas
for
students,
teachers,
professors,
journalists
and
patients
from
SAARC.
He
also
announced
zero
duty
access
to
India
before
and
end
of2007
to
the
least
developed
countries
(LDCs)
of
South
Asia
and
offered
to
further
reduce
the
sensitive
list
in
respect
to
this
countries.
The
15th
SAARC
Summit
was
held
in
Colombo
(Sri
Lanka)
on
August
2
3,
2008.
Prime
Minister
Dr.
Manmohan
Singh
led
the
Indian
delegation.
The
need
to
provide
security
to
the
people
of
South
Asia
from
hunger
and
terrorism
dominated
the
2
day
meet.
In
this
connection,
the
Colombo
Declaration
on
Food
Security
was
made
under
the
theme,
Partnership
for
Growth
of
Our
People.
Operationalisation
of
SAARC
Development
Fund
was
also
mooted.
On
terorism,
the
Mutual
Legal
Assistance
in
Criminal
Matters
was
signed
to
provide
a
greater
sense
of
security
within
the
region.
Bhutan
(Thimphu)
would
host
the
next
(16th)
SAARC
Summit
in
2010.
A
permanent
secretariat
of
the
SAARC
has
been
set
up
at
Kathmandu
in
Nepal.
The
chairmanship
of
the
organisation
remains
with
the
country
which
hostes
the
last
summit
and
is
transferred
to
the
new
host
at
the
time
of
the
next
summit.
Let
us
hope
that
SAARC
would,
by
the
combined
efforts
and
determination
of
the
seven
South
Asian
nations,
be
able
to
improve
the
security
environment
in
the
region,
generate
co
operation
among
them
in
the
economic
and
cultural
fields,
and
provide
a
better
life
for
their
people.
At
the
opening
session
of
the
South
Asian
Association
for
Regional
Cooperation
(SAARC)
Summit
in
Kathmandu,
on
January
5,
2002
the
Prime
Minister
of
India,
Mr.
Atal
Bihari
Vajpayee
conveyed
to
Pakistan
and
its
ally
in
the
war
on
terrorism,
the
U.S.A.
and
others
that
mere
gestures
of
friendship
and
readiness
for
talks
were
futile
if
they
were
not
