THE 11TH SAARC SUMMIT CONFERENCE WILL PROVIDE EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO THE LEADERS OF THE REGION TO DISCUSSS MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST -  BHUTANESE PRIME MINISTER LYONPO KHANDU WANGCHUK

kathmandu, jan 1: prime minister of bhutan lyonpo khandu wangchuk has said that "the meeting of the heads of states and governments of the saarc member countries is not oly vital for taking the saarc process forward but also provides an excellent opportunity for the leaders of our region to meet with each other and discuss matters of mutual interest."
bhutanese prime minister wangchuk expressed these views in a written interview given to rastriya samachar samiti(rss) in connection with the 11th saarc summit conference to be held in kathmandu from january 4-6.
stating that bhutan remain fully committed to the saarc process and its noble goals and ideals enshrined in its charter, mr wangchuk said that "regional cooperation among member states is imperative to improve the well-being and standard of living of our peoples."
bhutan has always endeavoured to promote and support the activities of saarc especially during diffult periods that the saarc has had to undergo, mr wangchuk said, adding that "today, it is a matter of great satisfaction and happiness for me to participate in the 11th saarc summit."
in reply to a query relating to the achievements made in south-asia regional cooperation after the inception of saarc, the bhutanese prime minister said that "the association, which had initially identified social goals for cooperation, has today moved into core areas of economic cooperation and is working towards creating a free trade area in the region."
we have been able to generate and enhance international consciousness of the region, he said, adding that "the member countries have been able to deliberate and reach common positions on issues of interest to the region and speak as one voice in international forums."
"saarc has also facilitated people to people contact in the region and promoted exchange of ideas and information as well as enriched awareness of each other's culture, tradition, etc," he added.
replying a question linked with economic uplift of the region, the bhutanese prime minister said that since the 1990s, the saarc summits have reiterated its commitment towards alleviating poverty in the region but progress in this area has been a lackluster despite the initial positive developments.
saarc will continue to focus on poverty alleviation concern in the region, mr wangchuk said, adding that during 11th saarc summit , we will review and consolidate the regional mechanism and cooperation on poverty alleviation in the region.
when asked to present views on the steps to be taken on eliminating terrorism from this region, the bhutanese prime minister said "bhutan has always held the view that terrorism in all its manifestations continues to jeopardize and undermine human rights, fundamental freedoms and security in many countries and fully supports the need to strengthen and international and regional consensus and legal regimes against terrorism."
the 11th saarc summit must review the implementation process of the saarc convention on suppression of terrorism and facilitate cooperation among the member states to ensure its effective implementation, mr wangchuck said, hoping that the summit will provide an opportunity to identify areas of cooperation to combat and eliminate this scrouge.
on the question relating to the possibilities of deliberating bilateral issues in the saarc summit to make it(saarc) more effective and instrumental, the bhutanese prime minister said "inclusion such issues in the saarc process would not only dampen the spirit of saarc but even hamper the scope for cooperation in areas of common interest."
in keeping with the spirit of the saarc charter, mr wangchuck expressed the view that bilateral issues should be kept outside the framework of saarc.
in reply to a query of saarc meeting the challenges of the 21st century, the bhutanese prime minister said "saarc has been sensitive to the rapidly changing circumstances in the global area and in order to realize its true potential, we have already signed the south asian prefeential trading agreement (safta), and are now in the process of drafting a comprehensive treaty regime for a free trade area in the region.
the 11th saarc summit will provide further direction and guidance and renew our efforts in fostering economic cooperation in the region, mr wangchuck said.
in reply to another query, the bhutanese prime minister said that "guided by the summit and ministerial policy directives, saarc was able to reach common positions on several issues relating to world trade organization prior to the seattle as well as doha conferences."
mr wangchuck said "we will continue to engage in such consulations at the ministerial or secretary level to reach common positions on various issues in order to effectively project and promote the region's interests in international forums."
in connection with afghanistan's application for membership of the saarc, mr wangchuck said that in saarc, all decisions are taken by consensus. the issue can be deliberated on when it is raised, he added.
the bhutanese prime minister said while it is essential to expand the areas of cooperation in keeping with the rapidly changing global environment, it is equally important that we constantly review the progress made in the areas already identified.
mr wangchuck said as the present summit is being held after a gap of almost three years, it is more important for us to consolidate our positions, streamline the implementation process and review the progress made so far. rss