Kathmandu,Nov 13-India favours China’s association with SAARC but not as a dialogue partner or observer, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said Saturday. Clarifying India’s stand, Saran said, “We welcome China to be associated with SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) but in a mutually beneficial manner.
“We want China to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SAARC and be associated with it, not as special observer or dialogue partner at the moment,” The Himalayan Times quoted Saran.
Saran said all but one member country had agreed to the suggestion, and the nature of China’s association would be decided in a special standing committee meeting early next year. According to an Indian source, Nepal wants China to be granted observer status immediately. There is presently no provision in the SAARC charter to incorporate a dialogue partner or an observer. Hence the constitution of the regional grouping has to be amended for any such move. “It is unfortunate but some quarters here are trying to link the entry of Afghanistan with China,” said the Indian source.India has strongly pitched for Afghanistan as the eighth member of SAARC.
In another report by Xinhua , Pakistan said China was welcome to be associated with the seven-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, former chairperson of SAARC, addressing the inaugural session of the 13th SAARC Summit in the Bangladesh capital, said, “We received a request from China expressing interest in associating with SAARC either as dialogue partner, or as observer. “We welcome the interest of our friend and neighbour China to be associated with our organisation.” Aziz said SAARC had also received a request from Afghanistan for membership.
“Afghanistan’s inclusion will enrich our organisation,” he said. The Standing Committee and Council of Ministers of SAARC will consider both the requests and make a final decision as early as possible, said Aziz.
Mainwihile, In the address to the South Asian delegates, His Majesty King Gyanendra called upon the SAARC member states to forge a strong partnership to eliminate terrorism from the region as well as spearhead a coordinated and earnest action against it. He noted that the global war on terrorism has failed to reach weak and vulnerable countries. Asserting that the global war on terrorism has not matched by global action against it, the king said, "It is this double standard and selective approach that is assuming a dangerous character rather than terrorism itself."
Terming terrorism a serious threat to international peace, security, stability and democracy, King Gyanendra said terrorism in Nepal would affect the whole of South Asia, as it knows no geographical boundaries. He, however, said that the security situation in Nepal is slowly but surely improving, claiming, "There is no place today in the Kingdom where security personnel cannot go at will."
The king added, "The improved security situation has allowed us to announce the date for municipal elections," which he believed would be a meaningful exercise in democracy. King Gyanendra also used the South Asian forum to ask those "being misguided" to renounce violence and to take part in a competitive democratic political process.
Defending the February 1 royal move, he said it was necessitated by ground realities and has not come at the cost of democracy. He claimed ''some'' have tried to wrongly project the current position of democracy in Nepal.
On the South Asian Free Trade Area agreement, the king said its success would depend on judicious sharing of benefits by all the South Asian partners. He believed that the signing of the four agreements on Promotion and Protection of Investments, Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, SAARC International Commercial Arbitration Centre and Avoidance of Double Taxation would further strengthen the SAFTA regime.
"Poverty remains the most daunting challenge," the king said, adding that the programmes and activities of regional cooperation must contain poverty reduction elements and promote inclusive social development for all men, women and children.
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