Pushpa Kamal Dahal–
On the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and SAARC Charter Day, I have the great pleasure to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to all fellow South Asian citizens.
Three decades ago on this very day, we embarked together on a common journey of regional cooperation with the aim of eradicating poverty and achieving peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia. During its journey, SAARC has made several achievements in terms of setting up of institutions, mechanisms, and developing norms and practices.
South Asia has huge potentials for transforming development landscape of our region.To achieve this, SAARC has to redouble its efforts in deepening cooperation.Our Organization needs to focus more on the delivery of concrete results through effective implementation of our commitments and decisions made so far. We must fulfill the aspirations of our people through the execution of results-oriented projects and programmes in a time-bound manner.
On this day, let us pledge to work together to achieve economic, social and cultural development in the region by resolutely combating common challenges of poverty, unemployment, terrorism, transnational crimes and climate change. Realizing goals and objectives as set out in the SAARC Charter calls for strong political commitment, concerted actions and an enabling environment in the region.
On behalf of the Government of Nepal and, as a founding member and current Chair of the SAARC, I take this opportunity to reiterate Nepal’s unflinching commitments to the ideals, values, principles and objectives as enshrined in the SAARC Charter.
May this Charter Day inspire us to further deepen regional integration for peace, progress and prosperity by fostering mutual trust, understanding, amity, cooperation and partnership among us to the broader and longer interests of our region!
8 December 2016