Terrorism scare away investors - Indian PM
 

FROM UPALI Rupasinghe in New Delhi

INDIA'S Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday speaking here at a SAARC business leaders conclave warned terrorism could scare away investors from SAARC countries.

He also talked about the huge economic cost that terrorism was inflicting and called for a united fight against terrorism that was haunting the region.

"We have collective stake in ensuring peace and security in the SAARC region because investor will come to this region if there is no assurance of peace and security.

We must join hands to put our collective house in order as peace in region will benefit all. Terrorism anywhere will hurt us all," Singh said.

He said no one could assume that when a neighbour is hurt by terrorism, one can somehow remain insulted from the consequences. "We then have a collective stake in ensuring peace and security here because to promote investors in this region," he said.

Elaborating on this, the Prime Minister said the business community has a vital stake in regional security and in victory in the war against terror. The Prime Minister told the audience that in a globalised world, the consequences of both poverty and insecurity are indivisible.

"No country in this region can be secure when others are insecure. Our lives are interlinked and so are our prosperity and security," he said.