By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 9: Leaders of the member states of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have emphasised the importance of collective efforts and initiatives to achieve growth and prosperity in the region.
In their separate messages issued on the occasion of the 40th Charter Day of the SAARC on Sunday, they have unequivocally expressed their commitment and support to the SAARC process in order to fully realise the objectives spelled out in the Charter.
According to the SAARC Secretariat, President of Bangladesh, Mohammed Shahabuddin; Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay; Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; and President of Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu have issued special messages on the occasion.
Likewise, Prime Minister of Nepal, K.P. Sharma Oli; Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif; President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake; and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya have also issued special messages in commemoration of the 40th Charter Day. The Foreign Ministers of Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka have also issued dedicatory messages on the occasion.
The Leaders have also conveyed their felicitations and greetings to the peoples and governments of the member states on the occasion.
Similarly, Secretary General of SAARC, Md. Golam Sarwar, has also issued a message to mark the milestone. In his message, the Secretary General has conveyed that the special Day provides an occasion to celebrate the numerous achievements SAARC has made in consolidating and streamlining institutional structure, norm setting in priority areas as well as programmes implementation to promote the cause of regional cooperation. This is also an occasion to forge new resolve to strengthen SAARC and reinvigorate all its processes, the Secretary General has said.
The regional body was launched by the South Asian heads of state/government at their First Summit in Dhaka by adopting the Charter on 8 December 1985. Since then, 8 December is commemorated as the SAARC Charter Day every year. In their special messages, the leaders from the member countries have underlined the important role of SAARC as a shared platform to its members for fostering mutual understanding, regional cooperation and solidarity.
“They have expressed that SAARC is the embodiment of the region’s collective aspiration for peace, prosperity and advancement,” read a statement issued by the SAARC Secretariat.
The SAARC Leaders also re-committed in realising the collective vision of a peaceful, prosperous and more integrated South Asia.
Having possessed massive human resources due to youthful population, rich natural and cultural assets as well as facing the common challenges of poverty, under- development and environmental degradation, South Asia has strong imperatives for regional cooperation, the Leaders have conveyed.
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