Date:02/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/02/stories/2007090260430800.htm

National

Pranab: SAARC should check human trafficking

Special Correspondent

“No alternative to accelerating regional cooperation”

— Photo: A. Roy Chowdhury

Common concerns: Union Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee (left) and Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the national seminar on “SAARC: Accelerating Cooperation through Connectivity”, in Kolkata on Saturday.

KOLKATA: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday highlighted the need for SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries to find ways and means of harmonising their national legislation and procedures to tackle crimes and human trafficking within the region.

He was inaugurating a national seminar ‘SAARC: Accelerating Cooperation through Connectivity’ organised by the Public Diplomacy Division and the SAARC division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Mr. Mukherjee said a meeting of the SAARC Home Ministers would be held to address security concerns such as transnational crimes, terrorism, narcotics and psychotropic substances.

“Combat terrorism”

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said it was incumbent on the member-nations to combat terrorism “collectively and effectively” as it posed a threat to economic cooperation.

People-to-people connectivity could be facilitated by promoting tourism within the SAARC. More flights could be operated within the region, he said.

Echoing the same thoughts, Mr. Mukherjee said physical connectivity made it incumbent “for us to find ways and means through which we are able to facilitate movement of not only goods but also of people and services. This will act as a major stepping stone in the East for our ‘Look East Policy’ and in the West for our links with Central Asia. Such physical connectivity will act as the gateway to invigorated economic activity.”

Though the SAARC, in its 20th year, faced doubts on whether its objectives were fulfilled or whether it was a success, there was really no alternative to accelerating regional cooperation.

“In these days of rapid globalisation and the stalemate over the WTO, there is no alterative,” Mr. Mukherjee said.