<p>Addressing the 5th Conference of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians here, the prime minister said intra-regional trade, since the introduction of the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006, had grown to $ 1.2 billion. “South Asia cannot afford to copy western lifestyles. We have to tap our own genius to develop models of growth which correspond to our resource endowments, and yet enable us to banish the scourge of poverty from our midst”, the Prime Minister said.<br /><br />“We have declared 2010-2020 as the ‘Decade of Intra-regional Connectivity’ in SAARC. The SAARC Development Fund is now well-established. The SAARC Regional Food Bank has been set up to meet food emergencies in the region”, Singh said while giving a warm welcome to all delegates particularly those from Afghanistan, participating for the first time in the conference. <br /><br />Singh said parliament is the supreme organ of democracy that reflects the collective will of the people and the sovereignty of the state. He said a tremendous responsibility rested on our parliaments to safeguard political liberties, protect fundamental human freedoms and the rule of law.<br /><br />The Prime Minster pointed to the common challenges of mass poverty, unemployment, lack of adequate health care, illiteracy and environmental degradation in the South Asia and impressed upon the need to learn from each other’s experience. <br /><br />“One of the lessons history has taught us is that no country can prosper in isolation. We live in an inter-connected world, and this is especially so in South Asia”, he said<br />Prime Minister said perhaps no region is more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and other challenges to sustainable development than the South Asia.<br /><br />“ Regional cooperation is vital for improving the quality of governance in managing our natural resources, in preventing land and water degradation and in strengthening our food, water and energy security”, he said.<br /><br />He said regional cooperation should be taken at all levels – bilaterally, sub-regionally and as a region as a whole.</p>
<p>Addressing the 5th Conference of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians here, the prime minister said intra-regional trade, since the introduction of the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006, had grown to $ 1.2 billion. “South Asia cannot afford to copy western lifestyles. We have to tap our own genius to develop models of growth which correspond to our resource endowments, and yet enable us to banish the scourge of poverty from our midst”, the Prime Minister said.<br /><br />“We have declared 2010-2020 as the ‘Decade of Intra-regional Connectivity’ in SAARC. The SAARC Development Fund is now well-established. The SAARC Regional Food Bank has been set up to meet food emergencies in the region”, Singh said while giving a warm welcome to all delegates particularly those from Afghanistan, participating for the first time in the conference. <br /><br />Singh said parliament is the supreme organ of democracy that reflects the collective will of the people and the sovereignty of the state. He said a tremendous responsibility rested on our parliaments to safeguard political liberties, protect fundamental human freedoms and the rule of law.<br /><br />The Prime Minster pointed to the common challenges of mass poverty, unemployment, lack of adequate health care, illiteracy and environmental degradation in the South Asia and impressed upon the need to learn from each other’s experience. <br /><br />“One of the lessons history has taught us is that no country can prosper in isolation. We live in an inter-connected world, and this is especially so in South Asia”, he said<br />Prime Minister said perhaps no region is more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and other challenges to sustainable development than the South Asia.<br /><br />“ Regional cooperation is vital for improving the quality of governance in managing our natural resources, in preventing land and water degradation and in strengthening our food, water and energy security”, he said.<br /><br />He said regional cooperation should be taken at all levels – bilaterally, sub-regionally and as a region as a whole.</p>