Responses to the questions posed by RSS to the president of Maldives:

1. After a long interruption, the SAARC summit is going to be held at Kathmandu. How would you like to take part in this long awaited summit?

I am happy that the eleventh SAARC summit is taking place. This would be the first summit of the new millennium and the first summit in nearly three and a half years. As such, this would be an important event to energise all the activities that had slowed down.

2. How do you evaluate the achievements in south Asian regional cooperation after the inception of SAARC?

The achievements of SAARC have so far been modest. But, you must realise that we are working in difficult conditions. What is indeed important is the SAARC process is still going on . I hope that this summit will succeed in activating programmes that will bring tangible benefits to the people.

3. Economic upliftment has been the main agenda of the SAARC since its inception, but poverty is still a serious problem facing the south Asian people. Why SAARC has not been able to change the fate of south Asian people unlike other regional cooperation bodies such as ASEAN, Benelux, African union etc.?

Poverty is endemic in south Asia and SAARC is not a panacea for all ills. I think we need not compare ourselves with others. We have to be realistic about what is feasible given our particular circumstance. I have always seen SAARC as an evolutionaly process and not a magic wand.

4. Apart of from global phenomena, south Asian nations are under serious threat of terrorism, and to eliminate terrorism from this region is an important task of SAARC. Do you think the 11th SAARC summit should take some special and more concrete steps in this regard? So, in your opinion, what type of steps it should be?

Of course, the first thing to do would be ensuring the implementation of the SAARC regional convention on suppression of terrorism. I think that in itself would be a great start and is the most logical place to begin.

5. According to the SAARC charter, bilateral issues have been left strictly outside the mainstream of the SAARC process. But experiences of one and a half decades have shown that excluding bilateral issues from the SAARC mainstream for all time would make the organisation ineffective to resolve the root problems in the region. Is there any chance that the SAARC will now take a sober look at the possibility of including bilateral agenda to make SAARC more effective and instrumental?

I don't think the progress of SAARC so far warrants an expansion of the scope of its activities, such an expansion might create more problems than it might solve. However, at the 1997 male summit, the leaders agreed that a process of informal political consultations would prove useful in relieving tensions and building confidence in south Asia.

6. What measures do you think each member country should take to help the dream of SAARC materialize, so that the people of this region can live in peace and properity ?

Every summit is convened with a lot of expectations, indeed on each occasion, a number of new initiatives are agreed upon, such as on eradication of poverty or the protection of environment or the creation of a free trade area. I believe that each member country should try to implement those initiatives.

7. In the rapidly changing global context, it has become very important for SAARC to tap economic opportunities, while revitalizing itself as a strong organization. What should be done to attain this goal and meet the challenges of the 21st century?

South Asia requires a stronger sense of regionalism. The first stop in the direction would be the creation of a free trade area. That would go a long way in delivering concrete benefits to the people. Besides that, and in the context of the challenges of the 21st century, one must keep in mind the importance of protecting and preserving the environment. Success in the 21st century will largely depend on the extent to which agenda 21 is realised, both at a regional level and global level.

8. What more can the member countries of SAARC do to evolve common positions at international fora such as the United Nations, the non-aligned movement and the world trade organization ? In this connection, what are the areas that would require more homework, considering that some SAARC countries are more development than others?

I think there is a lot that SAARC needs to do to project a common international bargaining position. In the year ahead alone, there are major conferences in which a collective voice of south Asia should be heard. These include the conference on financing for development and the rio+10 meeting. In addition, of course, there are matters relating to wto on which we have been projecting common positions. SAARC in not the only regional grouping with economic diversity in membership. In these situations there is much that all countries can do to bridge the skills and expertise gap within the region.

9. Afghanistan had applied for membership of SAARC in the past which was deferred due to political differences among the founder member states. Hasn't the time now come to re-think seriously on this issue?

I think that is a question that concerns first and foremost the government and the people of Afghanistan.

10. On which issues your country will focus at the forthcoming Kathmandu summit? Or is there any special agenda or subject matter from you country to be discussed at the summit?

No, there is no special agenda or issue that the Maldives wants to be discussed at the summit. We have always sought to focus on measures that would be of direct benefit to the people. The most important thing to do at the Kathmandu summit would be to breathe new life into various activities that have slowed down in recent years. Expediting safta, action on the social charter and environmental protection should be priority areas. Rather than embarking on new ventures, we should consolidate SAARC by redeeming pledges that have already been made to the people.
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