[May also look up:Sino-Indian Shadow Boxing in SAARC Summit in Nepal at <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/india-unity/conversations/messages/55132>.]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-opposes-horizontal-expansion-of-Saarc-but-observers-get-stronger-role/articleshow/45303035.cms India opposes horizontal expansion of Saarc, but observers get stronger role Sachin Parashar,TNN | Nov 28, 2014, 05.14 AM IST KATHMANDU: ***Even as India reiterated on Thursday that there was no proposal for an expansion of Saarc, the Kathmandu Declaration had enough for nations seeking greater engagement with Observer countries including China*** [emphasis added. Unlike the Addu Declaration at the last Saarc summit in Maldives in 2011, the Kathmandu Declaration clearly laid out a roadmap for "productive" cooperation between member-states and Observers. "In furtherance of earlier decisions on establishing dialogue partnership with states outside the region, the leaders appreciated the study undertaken by the Saarc secretariat to review and analyze the engagement with the existing Observers to establish dialogue partnership," said the Declaration. The Addu Declaration had sought to undertake a comprehensive review of all matters relating to Saarc's engagement with Observers, including the question of dialogue partnership. "The Leaders directed the Programming Committee to engage the Saarc Observers into productive, demand-driven and objective project-based cooperation in priority areas as identified by the member-states," it added. Pakistan had sought an elevation in status for both China and South Korea at the summit but India opposed it saying Saarc needed to be strengthened first before undertaking any horizontal expansion. In his Saarc address, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa said greater engagement with Observers was important for capacity building initiatives. After the focus on terrorism on the first day, the Declaration also had leaders unequivocally condemning terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations and underlined the need for effective cooperation among the member-states to combat them. "They directed respective authorities to ensure full and effective implementation of the Saarc Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and its Additional Protocol, including through enacting necessary legislations at the national level to root out terrorism. They reiterated their call for an early conclusion of a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism,'' it said. "They agreed to take effective measures to combat illicit trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances, arms smuggling, money laundering, counterfeit currency and other transnational crimes. They also agreed to establish a cyber crime monitoring desk," added the Declaration. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
