|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 2 August 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| We must work for rural masses' benefit ensuring robust growth of economies - President President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga addressing the first- ever summit of BIMST-EC in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday said it was time to take stock the achievements and map out a future strategy." Our countries are endowed with vast, precious and diverse resources; natural as well as human. The task of forging that diversity into effective and dynamic unity now lies with us," she said.
Reminding the Heads of the Governments from South and South East Asia the days they came together to form the BIMST-EC manifesting the commitment to a Regional Group initiated by host country Thailand, President Kumaratunga said: "When we initiated the group in 1997, we were mindful of our mutual interests and common concerns. We were conscious that in this inter-dependent and incessantly globalising world, the economic well-being of our peoples would be best attained by fostering greater understanding, good neighbourliness and practical co-operation among countries. This high-level meeting today, represents our collective reaffirmation of those ideals, as much as our determination to translate them into real, co-operative ventures that will benefit our peoples. "Our countries are located in a fast track growth region of the world today. All of us are variously capable of working in tandem to synergies this growth scenario ensuring benefits to all our peoples. It requires careful nurturing and bold initiatives. For example, joint action can be taken to broaden the rules of origin criteria applied in GSP regimes to encompass both SAARC and ASEAN regions.""Can we also think of mobilising Asia bond market, resources for an infrastructure development fund for the region, to be managed by the interested Central Banks on a commercial lending basis?," she asked. The President added: "Among other measures envisaged for action by our group, we are keen to devise a business travel facility to promote business travel among our people. Sectoral co-operation and specific projects must continue, with greater emphasis on a new order of self-help co-operation among us, based on our economic complementarities, with a view to sharing prosperity. This order must be on the basis that economic and social progress will touch each country and every city, and indeed every village in our region. As leaders of our countries, we have to be mindful of the wishes of our peoples. The overwhelming majority of our people still live in rural areas. We must ensure that the fruits of globalisation and regional economic co-operation reach the village and every nook and corner of our countries. Growth without equity, where its benefits do not reach the periphery will neither be meaningful nor sustainable, as amply demonstrated by the voice of our peoples at recent elections in some of our countries. Promotion of small and medium scale enterprises are also important as they can provide the basis for economic prosperity and social progress to the rural masses. Endorsing the views expressed by the Prime Minister of Thailand to 'maximise our potential in biodiversity through co-operation', President Kumaratunga said she was happy to note the proposal made by Sri Lanka to host a meeting next year. "I am happy to note that BIMST-EC Ministers have accepted Sri Lanka's proposal to host a meeting next year, on the protection of biodiversity and its intellectual property dimension," President Kumaratunga said. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
"Let us therefore collectively commit to work for the benefit of
the vast numbers of our rural populations while we ensure robust growth of
our economies. I hope this message will emerge loud and clear from the
first-ever summit of our group," the President said. At this very
first summit of the Heads of the Governments of Bangladesh, India,
Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan have endorsed the Sri Lanka
proposal to hold a meeting next year on the protection of biodivesity and
its intellectual property dimension.
