Climate gets focus at SAARC summit beginning today

ANIS ALAMGIR, FROM THIMPHU, BHUTAN
The Independent
28-4-2010

Apr 28: South Asian leaders have gathered in the majestic city and meeting Wednesday the capital of the Himalayan Kingdom Bhutan for 16th SAARC Summit beginning tomorrow in the hope of making the region "a green and happy" one.
Along with other declaration, the leaders are expected to give a call from their two-days meeting for taking a joint initiative for tackling the impact of the climate change as well as boosting trade and combating terrorism for the wellbeing of 1.5 billion people of the region.
Climate change is the theme of the Thimpu Summit, as it is not only a threat to the bloc comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka but also to the world at large.
Two agreements - one on environment and the other on trade in services - will be signed during the summit.
All heads of state or government except Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh arrived here for the summit by Tuesday. Manmohan will be here early morning of the summit day. Sri Lankan President and current chairman of the SAARC Mahindra Rajapakse had arrived in Thimphu on Monday while rest of the leaders arrived Tuesday including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who will lead 56 members delegation in the summit.
A red carpet was rolled out as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in the morning at the country's lone Paro International Airport on the outer edge of the capital Thimphu to join the Summit. Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley received her at the Airport while a contingent of Bhutanese Army gave her guard of honour. Hasina inspected the guard and took salute.
School children and local people stood in line on both sides of the road from Paro to Thimphu to greet Hasina as well as other leaders to the summit.
Ahead of the summit foreign minister of the member countries met Tuesday at the convention centre in Thimphu to finalised the SAARC declaration and agenda of the summit for SAARC leaders.
According to the official programme inaugural session of the summit commences at the grand assembly hall in Thimphu at 2.30 pm local and Bangladesh time too. SAARC chairperson and Sri Lankan president Mahindra Rajapakse will open the summit. After that Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley will assume the SAARC chair of the 16th SAAARC summit.
Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Maldives president Mohammed Naseed, Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Gilani, Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address the summit respectively on behalf of their countries.
After that heads of observer delegations will give their statement in the summit. At present Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, Republic of Korea, the United States and the European Union are the observers of the regional organisation.
SAARC secretary general also deliver his statement in this yearly function.
In this session, the SAARC leaders will inaugurate the permanent secretariat of the SAARC Development Fund. Bhutanese prime minister will make a short statement and untie the ribbon on plaque on behalf of the SAARC leaders.
The opening ceremony will concluded at 5-30pm. The leaders will have joint a banquet hosted by Bhutanese prime minister at Tashichho Dzong.
Bhutan, a founder member of the SAARC, is hosting the summit for the first time within two years of the establishment of a democratically elected government in 2008 ending the 100-year monarchy. Earlier, on three occasions, Bhutan had expressed its inability to host the summit due to lack of infrastructure and logistic support.
The two-day summit will revive outside world interest in the isolated Buddhist country and boost its tourism sector. The whole nation is trying their best to make it a success and significant to their guests.
SAARC had started its journey from Bangladesh in 1985 with a dream of improving the socio-economic condition of people of this area. Initially it was seven members bloc and in 2006 Afghanistan was included in the group.