President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has sent a message on the occasion of this year’s SAARC Charter Day.
The President’s message reads as follows:
“On the occasion of the Thirty First Anniversary of the founding of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), I have the pleasure of extending warm greetings and best wishes to the Secretary General of SAARC, the staff at the SAARC Secretariat and the Heads of Government and the peoples of all SAARC Member States.”
“The South Asian civilization is one of the oldest and richest; culture is abundant, and traditions and languages date back to thousands of years. SAARC, as a regional platform, is integral to realizing the treasured bonds of our shared civilization, culture and common history; with the aim of building relations between us; and on the sacred premise that regional cooperation is mutually beneficial, desirable; and indeed necessary.”
“Today, as we collectively celebrate the 31st year since the founding of SAARC, it is important to browse through the pages of its history to review the many opportunities and challenges that the organization has traversed in arriving to where we are today. The hallmark of this success is nothing but hard work and dedication to achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves, despite the multifarious challenges. SAARC has undoubtedly been successful in improving the lives of the South Asian people, by fostering progress in the areas of economics, social development, technology and science. The leadership of the region is committed to unlocking the true potential of South Asia through further innovation and stronger collaboration. We remain steadfast in our commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Development for our people.”
“While we continue to progress and bring development to our countries, poverty and destitution remain rampant in our region. Economic stagnation and instability in one part of the region will have negative impacts on the entire membership. The Maldives strongly believes that the key to realising poverty alleviation is through greater trade and economic investment between SAARC Member States. Commerce underscores good neighbourly relations, and fosters mutual understanding and benefits. By encouraging greater trade and economic investment, we have the power to move entire communities from poverty to prosperity.”
“South Asia also faces major environmental and natural disasters, and the region is prone to cross-border terrorism and violent extremism. We must join hands to assist each other in dealing with such disasters and work together to combat cross-border terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, if we are to continue prospering as a region. All SAARC Member States must work collectively together to deliver human security for our people, and ensure that terrorist organizations have no room to spread their venom in the region. The foreign policies of SAARC Member States should therefore prioritize improving relations with its neigbours, as a peaceful region is integral to ensuring peaceful nations. In this regard, the Maldives welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, and encourages other Member States to adopt similar stances.”
“As we commemorate the SAARC Charter Day, I would like to reaffirm the Maldives’ commitment to the SAARC ideals, and our pledge to foster greater regional cooperation, for the advancement of South Asia. As we move forward, it is my sincere hope that we can continue to put aside our differences and work together to realize our common goal for a better and more prosperous future. The power to achieving our goals lie within us; all we need is unison and the willingness to work together as a region. We must stand shoulder to shoulder in times of tragedy, and collectively rejoice in our individual successes. I believe that South Asia has become more powerful and more prominent than any other time in our history. In short, the future is ours to shape, and SAARC has an imperative role to ensure that this is achieved.”
“I wish SAARC and South Asia a glorious future.”