Mr.
Vadivel Krishnamoorthy
is the High Commissioner
for Sri Lanka
to Bangladesh.
Among other programs
to prom ote trade
and investment
relations between
the two nations,
the High Commissioner,
helped establish
the Sri Lanka
Bangladesh Chamber
of Commerce and
hold a Single
Country Exhibition.
Recently, Mr.
Krishnamoorthy
has been actively
helping set up
an agro-based
factory in Ishwardi
EPZ. Here in an
interview with
him ET catches
up on SAARC- its
past, present
and future.
ET: What is your
overall assessment
of the recently
concluded SAARC
Summit?
Vadivel Krishnamoorthy
(VK): SAARC is
progressing steadily
and is gaining
momentum in every
sphere of cooperation.
This is evident
from the speeches
that were made
by all SAARC leaders
at the Summit
where they demonstrated
strong commitment.
The theme of SAARC
summit was to
strengthen the
connectivity among
its members. Accordingly,
it has injected
a new impetus
for taking the
association towards
prosperity. The
New Delhi Declaration
dealt with inter-regional
connectivity,
multi-modal transport
system, millennium
development goals,
SAARC Development
Fund, energy development,
terrorism, SAFTA,
environment and
global climate
change, multilateral
trading system,
women's empowerment
and SAARC Food
Bank. It is a
forward-looking
document and progress
in each item needs
commitment and
cooperation from
all states. The
items mentioned
in the Declaration
are quite relevant
and comprehensive
for peace and
progress. Two
agreements-to
establish a South
Asian University
in India and SAARC
Food Bank-were
signed. All these
are a testimony
to the fact that
the association
is getting action-oriented.
I think these
are the highlights
of the recently
concluded Summit,
where all leaders
realized the importance
of developing
SAARC into a strategic,
beneficial relationship.
ET: We have had
many SAARC summits,
but critics say
little has come
out of those summits…
VK: In the past,
critics viewed
SAARC and concluded
by saying that
it had achieved
only a little.
However, SAARC
members were asymmetric;
composition of
its members includes
islands, landlocked
countries, LDCs
with uneven development.
However it has
never stagnated
but only progressed
silently at a
slow pace, which
is the positive
aspect of this
organization.
Yet it is obvious
that the past
declarations of
the summits generated
goodwill and cooperation
among all the
leaders and it
now has moved
towards an implementing
phase from its
past declaratory
phase. On the
other hand over
the last two decades,
it has made credible
progress in realizing
the main objectives
set out in the
charter to accelerate
the progress of
economic and social
development in
the region through
its good policies
that are agreed
based on consensus,
and context-relevant.
Inclusion of Afghanistan
as the eighth
member of SAARC
has added dynamism
and strength to
the association.
SAARC is gaining
its importance
as a regional
forum as evident
from the interest
shown by the
international
community to be
an observer in
SAARC. This is
a mark of global
recognition. This
demonstrates that
SAARC has become
a lot more outward
looking and in
my view SAARC
can be credited
with many achievements.
ET: In his speech
Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa,
President of Sri
Lanka, stressed
the need for combating
terrorism. Why
was terrorism
put center stage
in this SAARC
summit? What specific
cooperation is
being sought from
SAARC countries
in combating terrorism?
VK: Sri Lanka
emphasized that
there can be no
social and economic
progress without
peace and security.
Accordingly, it
proposed that
terrorism in all
forms and manifestations
should be condemned.
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