[India] SAARC: India to pitch for fight against poverty, terrorism

From Matamat

Dhaka, - India will strongly pitch for an "indivisible fight" against poverty and terrorism in South Asia and push hard for evolving SAARC as a regional trade bloc and an economic union at the two-day Summit of the regional grouping here from November 12.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrives here tomorrow evening, is expected to highlight the need for strengthening regional cooperation in fighting the scourge of terrorism.

Ratification of the Additional Protocol to the SAARC Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and early conclusion of a Comprehensive on International Terrorism are likely to be emphasised by Singh during his address at the Summit.

Outlining India's expectations from the SAARC Summit, Singh said yesterday in Chandigarh that the destiny of South Asia was inter-linked be it poverty, disease, natural disasters or the issue of terrorism. "Thus we must learn to work together to deal with these challenges." In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Singh said no country can pretend that cross border terrorism will not affect it internally and that our terrorist could be someone's "freedom fighter."