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Pakistani
Foreign Minister Inamul Haq walks past as Indian Foreign
Minister Yashwant Singha talks to his Bangladeshi counterpart
Morshed Khan
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By
Md. Zeyaul Haque, Special to IslamOnline
NEW
DELHI, August 22 (IslamOnline) - Under the shadow of India-Pakistan
rivalry, foreign ministers from the seven-member South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) began a two-day meeting
in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu Wednesday, August 21.
Sri
Lankan Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando cancelled his trip at the
last moment. His deputy will attend the meet Thursday, August 22.
The
last SAARC summit was also held in Kathmandu in January 2002, at a
time when tensions between India and Pakistan were high, as they had
their nuclear weapons pointed at each other.
To
make matters worse, the tiny mountainous host country is beset with
its own problems of extreme poverty and a Marxist insurgency that has
killed 4,300 people since 1996.
The
summit is marked by an extremely strict security arrangement for
visiting dignitaries. Although the insurgency is largely rural-based,
there have been bomb attacks in the capital Kathmandu recently.
A
Nepali government official claimed that it would be business as usual
at the meet as officials from SAARC were busy sorting out
“substantive issues of economic, social and cultural cooperation in
South Asia.”
Bilateral
talks are not part of the main SAARC format, but diplomats and
ministers do engage in informal consultations on the sidelines.
However, India has clarified that it would not talk to Pakistan as
long as what it calls “cross-border terrorism” does not stop.
India
says Pak-trained militants infiltrate the Line of Control to indulge
in subversive activity in the Indian part of Kashmir. January’s
eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation between the two countries came in the
wake of a terrorist attack by Pakistan-trained terrorists, according
to India.
As
long as Pakistan does not stop “cross-border terrorism” there
would be no talks with India, Indian officials said. On the other
hand, Pakistan said it was ready for talks any time.
The
Indian delegation will be staying in the same hotel as the Pakistanis
and will be together at the state dinners, but will not be talking to
each other. However, India explained normal courtesies would be
observed.
The
next SAARC meet, however, will be in Pakistan. Indian officials said
if cross-border terrorism did not stop India would find it difficult
to attend the next meet.
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Nepal
Prime Minister SB Deuba greeting Pakistani Foreign Minister
Inamul Haq
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The
seven nations of SAARC have agreed to amend their laws on terrorism to
bring them at par with Western laws. “This is important in terms of
creating necessary institutional framework under which the countries
can actually cooperate and make extradition easy,” India’s Foreign
Secretary Kanwal Sibal said.
In
fact “terrorism” is dominating this session of SAARC. Opening the
conference today Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba voiced
concern over the resurgence of terrorism in new forms and its
viciousness in the region and beyond and called for the redoubling of
efforts to combat terrorism in all its manifestations.
“Terrorism
has been the latest menace to the region and the world at large. Its
resurgence in new forms and viciousness in the region and beyond is
indeed a matter of great concern to all of us,” Deuba said.
The
Nepalese prime minister also said that there was “much to be
desired” in consolidating regional economic cooperation and
“decisive steps” taken to move forward in this area. He called for
resolute steps in the social sector to complement with economic
cooperation measures to take advantage of the vast potential in South
Asia.
Observing
that globalization placed great demand on the countries of the region,
he said “we should concentrate ourselves to doable programs ... so
that the results become tangible and meaningful”.
Naming
the eradication of poverty, promotion of free trade and social uplift
as the core areas for regional cooperation, Deuba said effective
implementation of agreed program in this regard would help achieve
SAARC goals.
SAARC, which was formed to emulate the
successful Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), has yet to
make its presence felt. SAARC, formed in 1985, comprises Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
