President Nasheed called on SAARC leaders to deepen economic integration and build bridges of co-operation between their countries and people, in his inaugural address to the 17th SAARC Summit, which opened this afternoon in Addu City, Maldives.
“South Asia… is becoming more powerful and more prominent than at any other time in our history… the future is ours to shape,” the President told the Heads of State, Heads of Government, VIPs and dignitaries assembled in the Equatorial Convention Centre in Hithadhoo.
“For too long, South Asia was considered a sideshow in the theatre of global politics but today, we occupy centre stage. The eyes of the world are upon us. This is our time to shine,” he added, in a speech enthused with optimism for the future of SAARC and the region.
“We can only achieve [these] goals, if we work together… because our success, is dependent on our neighbour’s success; economic stagnation in one part of our region, dampens prosperity in another; instability in one member state, causes insecurity for us all,” the President added.
“We can only make progress if we integrate our economies, ensure our financial system is stable, and foster a political climate that creates confidence,” he said.
The President called on SAARC leaders to make progress on three areas of co-operation: trade, transport and economic integration; security issues such as piracy and climate change; and good governance.
In particular, President Nasheed said he hoped nations would agree to fully implement the South Asian Free Trade Agreement and reduce the ‘sensitive list’ of goods and services countries are currently prevented from trading with one another.
The President also looked to the 17th SAARC Summit to conclude work on a regional ferry service and to agree on a Railways Agreement and a Motor Vehicles Agreement to improve regional transport links.
Furthermore, the President called on SAARC countries to work together to improve maritime security and combat piracy. The President further noted that climate change was the region’s greatest long-term security threat and said nations should invest a proportion of national income in clean energy technologies.
President Nasheed also called on SAARC nations to improve good governance by establishing a commission to suggest ways to reduce gender inequality in South Asia. He also advocated for a discussion on establishing a regional mechanism to safeguard human rights.
The President ended his speech on an upbeat note: “The fundamentals of our region are strong. We have young, energetic populations. We live in a region of vibrant democracies, with strong civil societies,” he said.
“Let us not be held back by history or convention. Let us change our region for the better. Let us be the leaders our people want us to be. Let’s just change the world,” the President stated.
