Afghanistan made full SAARC member
* China and Japan accepted as observers
* SAARC member states sign pacts on visa regime, taxation, arbitration
* Sign declaration agreeing to meet SAFTAââ¬â¢s January 1 deadline
* Decide to set up surveillance centre against possible bird flu pandemic
By Ejaz Haider
ON BOARD PMââ¬â¢S PLANE: As the 13th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit concluded in Dhaka on Sunday, the only major breakthrough it could achieve was on the issue of Afghanistanââ¬â¢s admission into the grouping as a full member and the acceptance of China and Japan as observers.
Consensus on the issue, which had eluded the summit on the first day, emerged during the retreat when the heads went into bilaterals with each other and India finally dropped its demand that SAARC must first develop the terms of reference for observer status before inviting in China.
However, since all other states were in favour of admitting Afghanistan as full member and China as an observer, with Nepal having threatened to veto Afghanistanââ¬â¢s entry unless China was granted observer status, India was in danger of being labelled a spoiler if the summit had concluded without agreement on the issue of expansion. ââ¬ÅWe now have a committee that will work out the terms of reference within 90 days,ââ¬Â Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said while talking to journalist aboard his plane.
India had also taken the position that if China was brought in, SAARC should also consider Japan and the US as observers. The deal that was finally clinched also brought Japan in, which had earlier applied to SAARC for observer status. ââ¬ÅThis is the first time SAARC has expanded,ââ¬Â Mr Aziz said. ââ¬ÅThe entry of Japan and China will have a positive impact on the working of the grouping.ââ¬Â
Mr Aziz also said that other members, notably India, had accepted in principle that the SAARC secretariat should be expanded and taken beyond its current role of a transit facility.
Agencies add: The SAARC member states also signed three major agreements on the avoidance of double taxation, liberalisation of visa regime and establishment of a SAARC arbitration council.
Announcing the decisions at the concluding session, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed to member states to resolve the few outstanding issues to facilitate the implementation of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) by January 1, 2006. Singh said the SAARC member states also signed a declaration agreeing to meet the January 1 deadline.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia told the concluding session that the SAARC member states decided to set up a health surveillance centre to fight the threat of a bird flu pandemic.
Also, India and Pakistan exchanged frosty words as the summit ended, casting doubt over whether the regional grouping would be able to overcome differences between its two biggest members.
ââ¬ÅThere is clearly a trust deficit between the two countries,ââ¬Â Mr Aziz told reporters. He said that as far as Pakistan was concerned, the core dispute with India was over divided Kashmir.
Singh was quick to respond, agreeing about the lack of trust between the two countries and accusing Pakistan of failing to live up to its obligations to end violence in India by Pakistan-based militants.
Aziz also told a breakfast meeting with senior Bangladeshi and foreign journalists that Pakistan would maintain the process of dialogue with the Israeli lobby, but recognition of Israel could be considered only when the Palestinian issue was settled.
He reiterated Pakistanââ¬â¢s proposal of demilitarising Kashmir to help reduce the ââ¬Åtrust deficitââ¬Â between New Delhi and Islamabad and improve atmospherics in the region.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p...4-11-2005_pg1_1
* China and Japan accepted as observers
* SAARC member states sign pacts on visa regime, taxation, arbitration
* Sign declaration agreeing to meet SAFTAââ¬â¢s January 1 deadline
* Decide to set up surveillance centre against possible bird flu pandemic
By Ejaz Haider
ON BOARD PMââ¬â¢S PLANE: As the 13th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit concluded in Dhaka on Sunday, the only major breakthrough it could achieve was on the issue of Afghanistanââ¬â¢s admission into the grouping as a full member and the acceptance of China and Japan as observers.
Consensus on the issue, which had eluded the summit on the first day, emerged during the retreat when the heads went into bilaterals with each other and India finally dropped its demand that SAARC must first develop the terms of reference for observer status before inviting in China.
However, since all other states were in favour of admitting Afghanistan as full member and China as an observer, with Nepal having threatened to veto Afghanistanââ¬â¢s entry unless China was granted observer status, India was in danger of being labelled a spoiler if the summit had concluded without agreement on the issue of expansion. ââ¬ÅWe now have a committee that will work out the terms of reference within 90 days,ââ¬Â Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said while talking to journalist aboard his plane.
India had also taken the position that if China was brought in, SAARC should also consider Japan and the US as observers. The deal that was finally clinched also brought Japan in, which had earlier applied to SAARC for observer status. ââ¬ÅThis is the first time SAARC has expanded,ââ¬Â Mr Aziz said. ââ¬ÅThe entry of Japan and China will have a positive impact on the working of the grouping.ââ¬Â
Mr Aziz also said that other members, notably India, had accepted in principle that the SAARC secretariat should be expanded and taken beyond its current role of a transit facility.
Agencies add: The SAARC member states also signed three major agreements on the avoidance of double taxation, liberalisation of visa regime and establishment of a SAARC arbitration council.
Announcing the decisions at the concluding session, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed to member states to resolve the few outstanding issues to facilitate the implementation of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) by January 1, 2006. Singh said the SAARC member states also signed a declaration agreeing to meet the January 1 deadline.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia told the concluding session that the SAARC member states decided to set up a health surveillance centre to fight the threat of a bird flu pandemic.
Also, India and Pakistan exchanged frosty words as the summit ended, casting doubt over whether the regional grouping would be able to overcome differences between its two biggest members.
ââ¬ÅThere is clearly a trust deficit between the two countries,ââ¬Â Mr Aziz told reporters. He said that as far as Pakistan was concerned, the core dispute with India was over divided Kashmir.
Singh was quick to respond, agreeing about the lack of trust between the two countries and accusing Pakistan of failing to live up to its obligations to end violence in India by Pakistan-based militants.
Aziz also told a breakfast meeting with senior Bangladeshi and foreign journalists that Pakistan would maintain the process of dialogue with the Israeli lobby, but recognition of Israel could be considered only when the Palestinian issue was settled.
He reiterated Pakistanââ¬â¢s proposal of demilitarising Kashmir to help reduce the ââ¬Åtrust deficitââ¬Â between New Delhi and Islamabad and improve atmospherics in the region.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p...4-11-2005_pg1_1
