‘SAARC co-operation key to eliminating regional terrorism’

President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday urged member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) to enhance co-operation to eliminate terrorism and extremism in the region.

He was speaking to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at President's Camp Office in Rawalpindi.

Musharraf said SAARC countries would have to devise a joint strategy to overcome the challenges faced by the region.

During the meeting, various issues of national interest, war on terror, the region’s situation and international affairs were discussed. The president stressed the need of close co-operation in various fields between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Bogollagama said the economic and trade co-operation between Pakistan and Sri Lanka were being enhanced while both countries were collaborating in the war on terror.

Bogollagama also met Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at Prime Minister's House on Thursday.

Gilani said Pakistan and Sri Lanka should play an active role in energising SAARC into a more active group to promote regional co-operation. He noted significant progress by SAARC in a number of areas like poverty alleviation, but said there still was need of strengthening this regional forum, especially in the fields of regional co-operation, environment, agriculture and food, water and energy security. He expressed his government's desire to consolidate ties with Sri Lanka in various fields, particularly diplomatic, political, economic, defence and security. The prime minister said the signing of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka had boosted economic ties between the two countries.

Source: dailytimes