H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) addressed the Inaugural Session of the Fifth SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave in New Delhi today.

Organized by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Conclave brought together Hon. Ministers of Commerce and Industry from all the Member States of SAARC except Bangladesh, besides a large number of trade delegations from them. The Conclave was devoted to theme, South Asian Century: Progressing towards Regional Integration.

Addressing the Inaugural Session of the Conclave, the Secretary-General stated, “Economic cooperation in the region was initiated in the early 90s with the institution of the Committee on Economic Cooperation, following the completion of the first SAARC Study on Trade and Manufactures and Services.  While it is very true that SAARC has taken small steps at a time, there has never been a case of looking back.  As a result, SAARC today has many a success story to relate.” He further said, “Since the early 1990s, SAARC has taken several important initiatives to enhance regional economic integration. The SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), and more recently, the SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS) are landmark Agreements in the pursuit of our common objective of speedy regional integration. With the coming into being of these Agreements, statistical evidence suggests that intra-sub regional trade among SAFTA members is rising slowly and steadily. South Asia’s intra-sub-regional trade share increased from 2.7% in 1990 to 4.3% in 2011.”

H. E. Mr. Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India delivered the Inaugural Address at the Conclave. Others addressing the Inaugural Session included Mr. V. S. Sahney, President, SCCI, Mr. Sidharth Birla, President, FICCI, and Mr. Siegfried Herzog, Regional Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

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H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) paid a visit to Bhutan from 13 to 14 January 2014.

During the visit, the Secretary-General paid a courtesy call on His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King ofBhutan. During the meeting, the Secretary-General apprised His Majesty the King of Bhutan about the current status of regional cooperation, with particular reference to intra-regional trade and connectivity. His Majesty the King expressed Bhutan’s unequivocal support to the SAARC process for the common good of the peoples in the region.

The Secretary-General called on H. E. Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Bhutan during the visit. In his meeting with the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General informed the Prime Minister of the latest initiatives of SAARC in several agreed areas of regional cooperation. The Prime Minister expressed his Government’s unwavering commitment to the strengthening of regional cooperation under the auspices of SAARC.

During the visit, the Secretary-General also called on H. E. Lyonpo Rinzin Dorje, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Royal Government of Bhutan. The Minister and the Secretary-General exchanged views on matters of common interest, particularly SAARC and its diverse agenda of cooperation. They also discussed matters pertaining to the Inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers and its preceding meetings to be held in the Maldives from 17 to 20 February 2014. The Minister hosted a dinner in honour of the Secretary-General in which senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Executive Heads of SAARC regional institutions attended. 

While in Thimphu, the Secretary-General also met H. E. Dasho Yeshey Dorji, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Government of Bhutan and discussed issues pertaining to SAARC. Matters relating to the Special Session of the Standing Committee scheduled for 17 February 2014 in the Maldives figured prominently during the discussions. In keeping with the directive of the Seventeenth SAARC Summit, the Committee is expected to consider the entire gamut of issues vis-à-vis SAARC’s engagement with its Observers. During the meeting, the Secretary-General also apprised the Foreign Secretary about the Comprehensive Study undertaken by the Secretariat in strengthening SAARC’s mechanisms, including the SAARC Secretariat, Regional Centres and Specialized Bodies of SAARC.

While in Thimphu, the Secretary-General paid a visit to the SAARC Forestry Centre and the SABAH project, funded by the SAARC Development Fund based in Thimphu, Bhutan.

The Secretary-General was accompanied by his spouse, Mrs. Ayesha Manike and Mr. Singye Dorjee, Director, SAARC Secretariat.

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H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) paid a visit to Pakistan from 7 to 8 January 2014.

During the visit, the Secretary-General called on H. E. Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs; H.E. Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs; and H. E. Mr. Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Foreign Secretary.

During the Secretary-General’s call on H. E. Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, the Advisor reiterated that Pakistan is fully committed to the principles and objectives of the SAARC Charter to promote the welfare of the people of this region through effective regional integration. He further stated that Pakistan is a vibrant member of SAARC and hoped that despite several impediments, SAARC will become a catalyst for regional development.

In his meeting with the Secretary-General, H. E. Mr. Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, highlighted that Pakistan values SAARC as a dynamic regional platform for building economic synergies, deepening regional integration and bringing the people of South Asia together.

The Foreign Secretary hosted a luncheon in honour of the Secretary-General which was also attended by Envoys from the SAARC Member States based in Islamabad, Federal Secretaries, Directors from three SAARC Regional Centres and high officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the calls on the high dignitaries, the Secretary-General apprised them of the current status of regional cooperation under the auspices of SAARC with particular reference to intra-regional connectivity and economic integration. The Secretary-General briefed the dignitaries about the preparations underway for the convening of the Inter-Summit Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers and its preceding meetings to be held in the Maldives from 17 to 20 February 2014. He also informed them about the Comprehensive Study that the SAARC Secretariat has undertaken to strengthen the SAARC mechanisms, including the SAARC Secretariat and Regional Centres. This is the first time in the history of the Association that the Secretariat has been mandated to prepare such a Study.

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SAARC Foreign Ministers met informally in New York on 25 September 2013 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, Minister of Environment and Energy and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives chaired the informal meeting organized by the Permanent Mission of Maldives in New York. Maldives holds the Chair of SAARC following its Seventeenth Summit in November 2011.

Opening the meeting, the Chairperson highlighted the important initiatives taken by the Maldives in the implementation of the decisions of the Seventeenth Summit. She also apprised the attending Ministers or their representatives of the impending plans of the Maldivian Government in carrying forward the SAARC process.

Addressing the meeting, the Secretary-General reviewed the progress in the implementation of the Seventeenth Summit directives. He also urged the Ministers or their representatives present at the meeting to consider the possibility of holding the inter-Summit Session of the Council of Ministers and the Eighteenth Summit as early as possible. Elaborating on the urgency of convening these meetings, he stated, "Since the Seventeenth Summit, a number of meetings have been held both at the technical and Ministerial levels. However, no meetings of Charter bodies of SAARC, namely, the Standing Committee, the Council of Ministers and the Summit have taken place since the last Summit, creating a backlog of important decisions to be taken by them. Your Excellencies would readily agree with me that without the convening of these meetings, SAARC activities are bound to suffer due to lack of direction and impetus. At the same time, I strongly feel such postponements of the Charter body meetings for a long period of time impede the process of regional cooperation, where decisions are required to be taken unanimously by the eight Member States."

Following the presentation by the Secretary-General, the Ministers deliberated upon several measures to implement the decisions of the SAARC Charter Bodies, including the Seventeenth Summit, and SAARC Ministerial Meetings, among others. During the meeting, they unequivocally underscored the need to hold the regular Session of the Council of Ministers at an early date.

Pursuant to the decision taken by the Eleventh Session of the Council of Ministers in July 1992, SAARC Foreign Ministers have been meeting informally in New York since 1997 on the sidelines of the UNGA sessions. The last such informal session was held in New York in October 2012. 

 

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