Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PML (N) Manifesto Prime Minister Federal Cabinet PM'S Speeches PM'S Messages Contact Us
PML (N) Manifesto Prime Minister Federal Cabinet PM'S Speeches PM'S Messages Contact Us
PML(N)MANIFESTO
PRIMEMINISTER
FEDERALCABINET
PM'SSPEECHES
PM'SMESSAGES
PM'sspeechatthe18thSAARCSummit
CONTACTUS
November26,2014
YourExcellency,PrimeMinisterofNepalandChairpersonofSAARC,
Excellencies,theHeadsofStatesandGovernmentsofSAARCMemberStatesandHeadsoftheObserverdelegations,
DistinguishedSecretaryGeneral,
Excellencies,LadiesandGentlemen,
ItisamatterofimmensepleasureformetobeamongmyeminentcolleaguesfromSouthAsiaandotherfriendlystates,atthe18thSummitof
theSouthAsianAssociationforRegionalCooperation,inthisbeautifulcityofKathmandu.
Nepal,needlesstoemphasise,ishometoanoldcivilization,andhastheworldshighestmountain,themightyEverest,whichhasheldan
abidingfascinationforloversofnature.
IcongratulatetheGovernmentofNepalforsuccessfullyholdingtheSAARCSummit.Onbehalfofmydelegationandonmyownbehalf,Iwish
toexpressourprofoundgratitudetoHisExcellency,theRightHonourablePrimeMinisterSushilKoirala,hisGovernmentandthepeopleof
Nepal,formakingexcellentarrangementsfortheSummitandfortheirwarmwelcomeandhospitality.
Icongratulateyou,Mr.PrimeMinister,ontheassumptionoftheChairoftheSAARCSummit.Pakistanstandswithyouinyourendeavoursto
promotethecauseofregionalcooperationinSouthAsia.
MayIalsotakethisopportunitytoacknowledgethePresidentofMaldives,HisExcellencyMr.AbdullaYameen,fortheoutstandingleadership
hiscountryhasprovidedtotheSAARCprocess,sincethelastSummitheldinMaldivesin2011.IalsowishtothanktheSecretaryGeneral,
HisExcellencyMr.ArjunBahadurThapaandhisteam,fortheireffortstowardspreparationofthisSummitandinpromotingtheSAARC
Agenda.
Excellencies,
FromthepeopleofPakistantothepeopleoftheSAARCregion,Ibringwarmgreetingsandsentimentsofgoodwillandfriendship.
Excellencies,
PakistanattacheshighimportancetoSAARC.Theorganisationhascometoepitomizethehopesandaspirationsofthepeoplesofour
region,forpeace,progressandprosperity.
Ifwelookataregionwhichishometonearlyonequarterofhumanityontheplanet,itismiredinpoverty,diseaseandilliteracy,withlowest
humanandsocialindicators.Morethanonefifthofthepopulationisbetween1524yearsofage,whichisthelargestnumberofyouthtoever
maketransitionintoadulthood.Theregion,however,accountsforonly6percentofworldGDPinpurchasingpowerparity,andonly4percent
shareinworldtrade,whileattractingonly3percentofglobalFDI.Weareoneoftheleastintegratedregionsintheworld.
Thethemeselectedforthe18thSAARCSummitisimportant.ThefocusonDeeperIntegrationforPeaceandProsperityismostappropriate
andreflectsourcommondesireforpromotingmutualunderstandingandreachingouttoeachother,tocreateawinwinscenario.
Theculturalaffinityamongourpeoplesisahugeasset.Sharedgeographyandhistoryhaveculminatedinauniquesynthesisofculturesand
traditions.Wemusttherefore,placeourpeopleatthecentreoftheSAARCprocesses.SAARCmustcapturetheimaginationofourpeoples
andcontributetocreatingstrongandmutuallybeneficialbonds.
SAARCcancontributeimmenselytowardsbuildingatrustsurplusamongmemberstates.Interfaithandinterculturalharmonymustfind
specialemphasisinitsprogrammes.AninteractiveprocessinthisdomainwillrevealthebeautyandstrengthofatrueSouthAsianidentity.
Weshouldbuildonourinherentstrengthsandeffectivelyaddresscommonissues,suchassocioeconomicdisparities,povertyalleviation,
womenempowerment,health,andeducation.Thisrequiresclosecoordinationatnationalandregionallevels.
Excellencies,Ladies&Gentlemen,
R03IamhappytonotethattodaysSouthAsiahasundergoneademocratictransformation.AllSouthAsianstatesarevibrantdemocracies.
WeearnestlyhopethatoldandnewdemocraciesinSouthAsiawilljoinhandstomakeourregionpeacefulandprosperous.R03Wemust
strengthenregionalcooperationthroughsharingofexperiences,bestpracticesandestablishinginstitutionallinkages.
TherecentmonsoonfloodsinSouthAsiancountriesraisedtheimportanceofregionalcooperationoncrossborderinformationsharing,and
earlyfloodforecastingsystems,ashumaninducedandnaturaldisastersaffecteverybody,irrespectiveofnationalboundariesandsocio
economicstatus.
R03TheGovernmentofPakistanhasrecentlylaunchedPakistanVision2025,whichputspeoplefirstinourdevelopmentequationthrough
prioritisinghumanandsocialcapital,promotingsustainable&inclusivegrowth,andbalanceddevelopment.
InpursuingtheSAARCsocioeconomicagenda,wemustpayspecialattentiontoruraldevelopment,expansionoftheagriculturalresource
base,developmentofactionplanstocombatcommunicablediseases,promotionofgreatercollaborationinthehealthsector,eliminationof
illiteracy,scientificandtechnologicalcapacitybuildinganddevelopmentofinformationandcommunicationtechnologies.
Excellencies,
TheeconomicdevelopmentofSouthAsiaiscloselylinkedtotheavailabilityofenergyatanaffordableprice.Withabundantalternateenergy
resourcesavailableregionwide,weneedtocollectivelyfocusonharnessingindigenousenergyproductionpotential.Weshouldalsoconsider
arrangementsfortransregionaloilandgaspipelines.
ByvirtueofitsgeographiclocationattheconfluenceofSouthAsia,WestAsiaandCentralAsia,Pakistanisanaturaleconomiccorridorfor
theregion.Promotingregionalconnectivityisoneofthesevenpillarsinourdevelopmentstrategy.Mygovernmentisactivelypursuingthis
initiativewhichhasthepotentialtointegrateSouthAsia,China,andCentralAsia,thethreeenginesofgrowthinAsia.Asoftvisaregimewould
greatlyfacilitatetherealisationoftheseobjectives.
R03
R03IalsowishtoemphasizetheimportanceoftheroleoftheSAARCObservers.SAARCcanbenefitfromitsinteractionwiththem.
Excellencies,
R03
ThegapbetweenthepromiseofSAARCandrealityofitsaccomplishmentsneedstobebridged.Weshouldbuildonconvergences,minimize
divergencesandmostofall,seektoaugmentcomplementaritiesforthegreatergoodofthepeopleofthisregion.
MyvisionforourregionisadisputefreeSouthAsia,whereinsteadoffightingeachother,wejointlyfightpoverty,illiteracy,disease,
malnourishment,andunemployment.Weinvestinouryouthtounleashtheircreativity,talent,andenterprise.Westrengthenourbondsof
trustsothatwecansolveourproblems.
Havinghostedthe4thand12thSAARCSummits,Pakistanwillbepleasedtoofferitselftohostthe19thSAARCSummitinIslamabad.
IwishthisSummiteverysuccess.
ThankYou!
HOME
CONTACTUS
PMSPEECHES
THEPRIMEMINISTER
PRIMEMINISTER'SPROFILE
FORMERPRIMEMINISTERS
FEDERALMINISTERS
MINISTRIESANDDIVISIONS
PMOLibrary(InternalUseOnly)
Poweredby:
EGovernmentWing,PCB(MOIT)