DHAKA, 21 August 2004 — Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Morshed Khan has called for removing all prejudices to turn the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) into an effective forum for economic cooperation in South Asia.
The optimism that the last SAARC summit in Islamabad has generated should now be channeled to the eventual goal of creating a South Asia free from poverty, hunger, mutual distrust, instability and insecurity, Khan told the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) conference in Dhaka yesterday.
“We have to double our efforts for creating a South Asia where the mindset is free from prejudices and preconceived notions, a South Asia which reflects the aspirations of the common people, and a region brimming with a conviction and confidence,” Khan said.
Around 200 senior journalists including 35 from India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are taking part in the two-day conference on regional cooperation in South Asia.
The foreign minister said journalists have to rise above racial, religious and cultural inhibitions and overcome their “mental barrier” often created by states and petty interest groups.
Terming media a partner in governance and a vehicle to enhance accountability and transparency, he said, there cannot be any compromise on the issue of a responsible media.
Eminent economist Professor Rehman Sobhan presented a paper on Overview of Regional Cooperation in South Asia while Indian High Commissioner Veena Sikri, Sri Lankan High Commissioner Gamini Sarath Munasinghe, Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Shahid Kiani and Nepalese Ambassador Bhagirat Basnet spoke on different aspects of SAARC cooperation.
On regional cooperation, the foreign minister noted that regionalism is perceived as an effective response to the opportunities offered and challenges posed by the forces of globalization.
He said South East Asians, North Americans, Latin Americans all have endeavored to devise their own regional approaches to promote their own interests.
Though belated, he said, South Asian countries have also started to veer around to the idea of a meaningful regional cooperation through SAARC.
Khan said negotiations for implementation of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) are under way and there has been good progress. He called for launching SAFTA by the target date of Jan. 1, 2006.
Without naming India, Khan deplored imposition of non-tariff barriers in the name of standardization certificates of exportable products of Bangladesh which is facing huge trade deficit.
He questioned what would be the consequence if similar barriers were imposed against the (Indian) exports of billion dollars to Bangladesh.
Khan also stressed the need for creating a South Asian identity, saying, “the greatest challenge before us is to think of ... a singular identity that connotes in terms of culture, tradition and intrinsic humanity.”
“We are bound not only by geography but the special ethos and sense of belonging. The role of media is to create an enabling environment to foster this identity,” Khan told the conference.
