Madam Prime Minister, Majesties, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Four years ago, my wife and I had the honour and privilege of enjoying the renowned Pakistani hospitality. We are delighted, Madam Prime Minister, to be in your beautiful capital once again. We thank you, your Government and the people of Pakistan for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to us and for the excellent arrangements made for this Summit.
Madam Prime Minister, I also wish to express my best wishes to you on your assumption of the chairmanship of SAARC for the next twelve months. We are confident that SAARC will gain strength and vitality from your able guidance. As one of the member states with greater capabilities, I believe that Pakistan’s role in SAARC is vital to its enduring success.
Before I proceed further, I would like to express our profound sorrow over the tragic death of the late President Zia-ul-Haq. As a founder member of SAARC, his lasting contribution in promoting regional cooperation will be remembered with respect and gratitude. On a happier note, I would like to pay a special tribute to another of our most respected founder members, President J.R Jayewardene of Sri Lanka. We have all benefited from his experience and wisdom. We now look forward to his successor, President-elect Premadasa to continue Sri Lanka’s important role in enhancing the work of our Association.
I am happy to place on record here my Government’s sincere appreciation of the out-going Chairman, His Majesty King Birendra of Nepal, for so diligently serving our common cause during the last twelve months. I also wish to extend warm compliments to Secretary-General Abul Ahsan, for the tireless work he has done over the past two years.
Madam Prime Minister, Majesties, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Circumstances force me to bring to your attention, at the outset, a matter not related to SAARC or its activities, but of vital concern to the security, peace and stability of my country and of the South Asian region. I refer to the armed aggression against the Maldives on November 3rd perpetrated by a heavily armed group of foreign mercenaries - a typical situation that demonstrates the vulnerability of small states to external threats. This act of armed aggression cannot be brushed aside as an attempted coup d’etat as reported by the world media. It was nothing but a dangerous conspiracy aimed at subverting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of the Maldives. It was also an attempt to undermine peace and stability in our region. The atrocities committed by the armed terrorists include cold-blooded murder of innocent civilians, kidnapping, hostage-taking and hijacking. This episode has, lamentably, brought to our peaceful shores the scourge of international terrorism with far reaching implications for us and the entire region.
I would like to reiterate here the profound appreciation of the people of the Maldives to the Government of India for having responded positively and swiftly to our request for military assistance to help overcome the mercenary aggression. The Indian action not only helped to uphold democracy in the Maldives but also illustrated how the spirit of SAARC could be translated into meaningful endeavours that would strengthen bilateral cooperation and regional stability.
While these alarming events of the attempted seizure of my country are still fresh in our memory, I think we should give immediate attention to the magnitude of the threat posed to the security of small states of SAARC by international mercenarism and terrorism. I strongly feel that the newly emerging regional dimensions of terrorism and mercenary activity not only endanger the security, political independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of our nations but also threaten the peace and stability of the whole region.
By the signing and the ratification of the SAARC Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, we have already declared our resolve to fight the menace of terrorism in our region. However important that may be, it is by no means enough. My Government is of the view that the SAARC community should also adopt urgent measures to outlaw mercenarism in all its manifestations. I believe that a collective effort by us in this respect may help accelerate international action on the issue. The early completion of the long overdue drafting of the UN convention against the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries will go a long way towards attaining the objective of eradicating the twin threats of mercenarism and terrorism.
Madam Prime Minister, as the political climate of the world has its implications on the welfare of people everywhere, the Maldives is happy to note the relaxation of tension in many parts of the world in recent months. The cessation of hostilities in the Gulf War, the encouraging progress made in finding a lasting solution to the problem of Afghanistan, the recent Namibia Peace Accord and the new movement towards peace in the Middle East are significant breakthroughs in the global quest for peace. The new detente between the super powers and the Soviet plan for a unilateral cutback in its military power are also hopeful signs of a better tomorrow.
The year since we met in Kathmandu has been quite eventful for our region too. It has sadly been characterized by severe natural disasters that have afflicted a number of our countries. Bangladesh suffered the worst floods this century. Parts of Nepal and India were ravaged by a severe earthquake. These calamities took a heavy toll on life and property and caused untold misery for millions of people.
In spite of these misfortunes, we have been quite active in our collective endeavours. The SAARC Convention on Suppression of Terrorism has been ratified by all the states. The SAARC Food Security Reserve has become operational. The SAARC Youth Volunteers Programme has been launched. Our planners have had a third session of discussions and have made suggestions which may have a crucial bearing on our development aspect. Progress has been made within SAARC in the high priority area of child health and child welfare.
These are indeed significant achievements, but the recent UNICEF report on the state of the world’s children has sounded a timely warning. It has called the world’s attention to the fact that global recession and the debt burden of the third world have forced many developing nations to reduce their spending on health and education which would inevitably worsen the plight of millions of children around the world. This alarming prospect needs urgent international action. We in SAARC have made a beginning in the right direction, and it is our duty to intensify our cooperation in order to save further generations of our children from poverty, hunger and disease.
Madam Prime Minister, now that the formative years of SAARC are over and, with the experience gained during the past three years, I feel it is time that we looked more closely at what should really be done to promote the welfare of our peoples. Many of us believe that what is required now is the fulfillment of the basic needs of the common man. Once that is ensured, the scope for mutually beneficial cooperation in other areas would expand.
In my opinion, basic needs may differ from country to country. In the Maldives, we have now realized that adverse environmental changes could place the country’s very survival at risk, rendering the protection and preservation of environment an area of basic need for us. Indeed, sea level rise, which is a direct consequence of global environmental changes, may, in the next few decades, become a critical problem of major proportions to at least two of our member countries, namely the Maldives and Bangladesh. Other adverse environmental trends such as desertification, deforestation and acidification pose an equal threat to other countries of SAARC. An expert group has been formed within SAARC to study the causes and consequences of sea level rise and natural disasters. The group is expected to complete its work in 1990. Be that as it may, we in the Maldives are convinced that the issue of environment demands more immediate attention. We are racing against time. It is imperative that we move from studies to action.
In conclusion, my Government and I would like to assure you, Madam Prime Minister, of our full co-operation with you in the great task that lies ahead. We shall be happy, as always, to participate in all activities of our Association to the best of our ability. Let us, by working together, prove to the world our resolve to improve the quality of life for the one billion people in SAARC.
Thank you.