SAARC Council of Ministers to declare:
Decade of Intra-regional connectivity in SAARC
The Second Meeting of SAARC Ministers of Transport chaired by
Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma was held at the Colombo Hilton on
July 25 with the participation of all Member States of SAARC.
The Ministerial Meeting was preceded by a meeting of the SAARC
Inter-Governmental Group on Transport chaired by Secretary of the
Ministry of Transport Tilak Collure. Sri Lanka’s decision to host this
meeting was in the context of reiteration by the leaders of SAARC at the
15th SAARC Summit in Colombo in August 2008, of the critical importance
of an efficient multimodal transport system in the region for
integration and for sustaining the region’s economic growth and
competitiveness.
The inaugural session of the Ministerial Meeting was also attended by
the Foreign Affairs Minister and current Chairperson of the SAARC
Council of Ministers Rohitha Bogollagama, signifying the importance
accorded by Sri Lanka and the SAARC Council of Ministers to the process
of enhancing intra-regional connectivity.
Addressing the Inauguration Ceremony, Minister Dullas Alahapperuma
emphasized that strengthened connectivity and seamless passage for
peoples of the region would lead to enhanced trade and greater
intra-regional people-to-people contact.
He added that it would also contribute to realization of a more
integrated region, and assist in finding common solutions to regional
problems.
Stressing the vital role of SAARC Transport Ministers in providing
impetus and direction to expedite the achievement of a better connected
South Asia, the Minister stated that it is necessary to work on
initiating direct flights between SAARC countries and remove bottlenecks
in trans-border movement of goods through land. He further stressed the
urgent need to strengthen infrastructure including roads, railways,
maritime as well as air transport.
The Ministers also agreed to recommend to the SAARC Council of
Ministers to declare the next decade as the “Decade of Intra-regional
Connectivity in SAARC”.
Delivering a Message from the Secretary General of SAARC, Director of
the SAARC Secretariat Vinay Kwatra mentioned that in addition to
removing infrastructural bottlenecks to stronger intra-regional
connectivity, it is also important to establish legally applicable and
enforceable norms and Agreements to ensure smooth trade, transit and
movement of motor vehicles and development of regional rail networks in
the region.
The Ministers reviewed progress in decisions taken at the first
ministerial meeting in 2007; considered progress in the implementation
of the prioritized recommendations of the SAARC Regional Multimodal
Transport Study; deliberated on the various pilot, sub-regional and
regional projects proposed; and emphasized the need to operationalize
the Infrastructure Window of the SAARC Development Fund for implementing
important projects.
The Ministers discussed in detail, matters relating to developing
draft regional transport, transit and railway agreements, and decided to
constitute an Expert Group to negotiate such agreements in a time bound
manner. The SAARC Secretariat was requested in this regard to continue
to cooperate with the relevant international organizations including the
Asian Development Bank.
Delegations from Member States made several important announcements
regarding steps that will be taken to enhance connectivity in the
region. Among such announcements was the readiness expressed by the
delegation of India led by Minister of State for Road Transport and
Highways, R.P.N. Singh, to commence a ferry service between Colombo and
Chochin. |