Dhaka's participation in Delhi ministers' meeting uncertain
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
FE Report
The participation of Bangladesh in the first SAARC transport ministers' meeting in New Delhi later this month on opening up all strategic corridors for use by member nations is uncertain due to the floods in the country, diplomatic sources said.
The SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) members are Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Sources said Bangladesh requested India to defer the date of the meeting, which is scheduled to be held on August 28-31, due to devastating flood in the country.
"Despite our request India is reluctant to defer the date of the meeting," a source said.
The sources said India thinks shifting of the meeting date may lead to delay in holding the next SAARC summit, which is scheduled to be held in the Maldives in May 2008.
They said at least four member countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and the Maldives, are likely to remain busy with holding of their national elections after mid 2008, they said.
"Despite the fact, we still hope that India will understand our position," a high official source said.
He said: "We are not fully prepared to attend the meeting as we are now busy with relief operation for the flood-hit people."
Sources said prior to the transport ministers' meeting, there will be two meetings of Inter-government Expert Groups, where joint secretaries and secretaries of the member countries will take part.
However, the leaders of the SAARC countries during the 13th summit held in Dhaka in 2005 took the initiative to open up their corridors for use by the member states.
The summit also took initiative to conduct 'SAARC Regional Multimodal Studies' for implementation of the initiative.
The participation of Bangladesh in the first SAARC transport ministers' meeting in New Delhi later this month on opening up all strategic corridors for use by member nations is uncertain due to the floods in the country, diplomatic sources said.
The SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) members are Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Sources said Bangladesh requested India to defer the date of the meeting, which is scheduled to be held on August 28-31, due to devastating flood in the country.
"Despite our request India is reluctant to defer the date of the meeting," a source said.
The sources said India thinks shifting of the meeting date may lead to delay in holding the next SAARC summit, which is scheduled to be held in the Maldives in May 2008.
They said at least four member countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and the Maldives, are likely to remain busy with holding of their national elections after mid 2008, they said.
"Despite the fact, we still hope that India will understand our position," a high official source said.
He said: "We are not fully prepared to attend the meeting as we are now busy with relief operation for the flood-hit people."
Sources said prior to the transport ministers' meeting, there will be two meetings of Inter-government Expert Groups, where joint secretaries and secretaries of the member countries will take part.
However, the leaders of the SAARC countries during the 13th summit held in Dhaka in 2005 took the initiative to open up their corridors for use by the member states.
The summit also took initiative to conduct 'SAARC Regional Multimodal Studies' for implementation of the initiative.