 "Sri Lankan PM fears collapse of SAARC because of India-Pak friction")
Visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today expressed fears that the existence of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, as a regional grouping was under threat on the issue of cross-border terrorism. He said SAARC has largely been defunct for the last few years because of India-Pakistan friction and could soon become non-functional.
Wikckremesinghe, on a three-day visit to India, said India needed to find a way to deal with cross-border terrorism as it is likely to continue even if SAARC were to collapse. He said India's place in South Asia was unique and it could make the region a better place, but it was up to India whether it wants to do this or walk away.
"SAARC has to decide on two issues - cross-border terrorism and areas in which we can work together?If we don't do it, there is no future for SAARC," he said. SAARC has eight members. It was scheduled to host its 19th Summit in Islamabad on 9-10 November, which was postponed after five members pulled out in the wake of the Uri terror attack. Sri Lanka was one of the five, although the last, to pull out.
To a question about military escalation, Wickremesinghe, who is here to attend the India Economic Summit, said he didn't think war was an option for anyone. Wickremsinghe met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and according to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, conveyed to Modi that "the safety and security of the region is of utmost importance to Sri Lanka."
Wickremesinghe said his discussions with New Delhi were on the future of SAARC. "Since we have looked at it in overall context, what I discussed with your government is how does SAARC move from here...And ensure that there was no cross-border terrorism in India or any country," he said.
He said SAARC will not remain a South Asian association if a member country were to leave it. "The issues on the table have to be handled otherwise it (SAARC) will become non-functional. It is not an issue of someone leaving or joining. We have to address and find the solution acceptable to all," the Lankan PM said.
The Sri Lankan PM's comments come in the wake of India looking at the BIMSTEC (the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) as an alternative to SAARC. New Delhi has invited BIMSTEC leaders for an outreach summit on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit it is hosting in mid-October. BIMSTEC members are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal. Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Maldives aren't BIMSTEC members.
The Sri Lankan foreign minister said Colombo believed holding of the SAARC meeting at the highest levels of government of eight nations of SAARC was essential to strengthen the grouping. He hoped that the "present predicament serves as an eye opener for the member states to rethink and reconsider the importance of addressing issues relating to peace and security that are essential for meaningful regional cooperation".