SAARC must work to change S Asia's economic landscape: Sharif

Underlining that interdependence calls for greater cohesion among SAARC member states, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said the grouping must jointly work to change the economic landscape of South Asia and deliver its people from evils like poverty and illiteracy.
"Three decades ago the South Asian leadership made a commitment to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development of our region. Promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the people of South Asia was the key idea behind this thinking," Sharif said while addressing the inaugural session of the 8th SAARC Finance Ministers' meeting here.

Sharif said the increasing interdependence and the notion of shared goals and common concerns were the genesis of the South Asian Association of Region Cooperation (SAARC).
"By realising the commitment of the leaders enshrined in SAARC charter we can all progress and bring economic stability and prosperity including social uplifts for our generations," he said.
India is being represented at the summit by Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley cancelled his participation amid the strain in bilateral ties.
At the meeting, Sharif said in the age of globalisation the world's focus is on finding regional solutions to common problems for the economic and social progress of the masses.

"Increasing connectivity, ease in communication, freer trade and finding solutions to hunger, poverty and foods in security have helped the world to enhance regional and sub-regional cooperation," an official statement quoted Sharif as saying.

He said the trans-boundary effects of climate change, spread of diseases, economic spillover and social evils are being countered by joint strategies at the regional level.
The interdependence calls for an ever greater cohesion among the SAARC member states, he stressed.
"Pakistan is ready to contribute to fulfil aspirations of the people of the region," the Prime Minister said.
He also expressed the confidence that deliberations of Finance Ministers would complement the agenda of 19th SAARC summit, which Pakistan will host in Islamabad on November 9 and 10.

Sharif also apprised the participants about economic policies being pursued by the Pakistan government, their acknowledgement by the multilateral institutions and their trickle-down effect.
He said reforms agenda of the government is aimed at strengthening regulatory and supervisory framework and safeguarding of the national economy.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, in his welcome address, said
the South Asian region is blessed with immense resources and has the potential to meet the growth requirements of its peoples, Radio Pakistan reported.
He said joint strategies are the way forward to exploit this potential for the socio-economic upliftment of the people.
Dar expressed the confidence that the vision of South Asian Economic Union will promote economic cooperation, investment and connectivity among the regional countries.

He said the leaders of SAARC countries have repeatedly been emphasising upon the greater economic integration and cooperation.
The Finance Minister said though significant headways have been made in this regard, however, there is a need to remove non-tariff barriers and simplification of procedures in order to enhance cooperation in different sectors including trade, investment and energy cooperation.
Dar said the proposals to be finalised in the ongoing meeting will be presented before the SAARC summit to be held in November in Islamabad.
Later, being elected as the chairman of the 8th meeting of SAARC finance ministers, Dar in his brief remarks said that concerted and time-bound efforts are the only way to get the masses of the South Asian region out of the clutches of poverty and hunger.

He emphasised the need for greater intra-regional and inter regional cooperation to help South Asia combat all challenges including poverty.
Addressing the conference, Secretary General SAARC Arjun Bahadur Thapa said the South Asian region has the potential to become a global economic force.
He said that since the last SAARC Summit, significant progress has been made to bolster economic cooperation among the member states.
Thapa said the leaders of SAARC countries have set an ambitious target of establishing South Asian Economic Union which requires deeper interaction amongst the member countries.
Ministers and senior officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the day-long conference.