President Mohamed Nasheed has highlighted the many fruitful results of the 17th SAARC summit, while delivering the closing address at the concluding session of the summit.
Speaking on the trade, transport and economic development issues discussed at the two-day summit, President Nasheed announced SAARC’s decision to reduce the sensitive list of Least Developed Countries from 480 tariff lines to 25. He also said that the Heads of State and Heads of Government have agreed to finalize the Regional Railways Agreement and to convene the Expert Group Meeting on Motor Vehicles Agreement, before the next Council of Ministers.
Reflecting on the Security issues deliberated on at the summit, President Nasheed informed of the agreement on the Rapid Response to Natural Disasters and the decision to initiate work on combating maritime piracy in the region. He further said that all countries have agreed to spend an appropriate proportion of their national income on renewable energy technologies.
The President also highlighted the good governance issue on the table at the summit, “We have agreed to convene an expert group meeting to discuss a regional mechanism for empowerment of women and promote gender equality in the region. And we have agreed to strengthen the mechanisms of SAARC itself, including the Secretariat and Regional Centres.”
At the concluding session of the 17th SAARC Summit, held from the 10th of November to the 11th in Addu City, SAARC leaders adopted the Declaration of the Seventeenth SAARC Summit as the “Addu Declaration”. It was also announced that the Eighteenth SAARC Summit will be held in Nepal.
Following the conclusion of the Summit, President Mohamed Nasheed met with the press in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Summit, and briefed the media on the important decisions taken during the course of the Summit.
