Trade, terror hog the limelight

The inaugural session of the 14th Saarc summit saw heads of states and governments discussing the two main concerns of the Saarc countries, that of trade and terrorism.

While bilateral issues were referred to, there were some notable efforts to rise above them to address the real issues of Saarc. Sri Lanka called for a common currency, while Pakistan called for a road map on how to connect Saarc countries. A few jibes were made on old grouses, but terror and trade were clearly on the agenda.

While the ball was set rolling by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it was Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who elaborated upon the reasons why free trade and other connectivities were not taking off despite 22 years of Saarc.

Aziz observed it was essential to build mutual trust and confidence to reduce the "trust deficit" that, he said, hampered the process of attaining the full growth potential of the region.

Raising old issues with regard to free trade, he said a level playing field should be promoted among the Saarc nations for labour and production. For this, an open environment for regional trade and removal of all trade barriers should be carried out. "We must, however, show sensitivity to the need for creating a level playing field, market access and requirements of development in each member state," he said with an obvious reference to Pakistan's differences on Safta.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, however, was not in a mood to spare Pakistan and shifted the focus back from bilateralism and trade to the very crucial need for controlling terrorism. "It is our duty to ban extremism and terrorism in all forms and sources, including political sponsorship and financing," Karzai said.

"Should we fail in this regard, the progress will be hindered in the entire region and the security will be compromised further," he said. "We would have failed in our responsibility to impart prosperity and security to our sons and daughters," he said.

Linking extremism and foreign interference in Afghanistan in the past with two decades of its political and economic isolation, Karzai said terrorism had "detrimental consequences for all of us" in the region and in the international community.

If Afghanistan was impassioned about terror, then Sril Lanka asserted that it was time to get away from all rhetoric and said Saarc must become a Union and adopt a single currency for achieving its political and economic pursuits.

"I strongly believe that Saarc must become a Union where we will endeavour to achieve our political and economic pursuit. It is also high time that we adopt a single currency," Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.