Set aside differences for real prosperity, PM urges SAARC leaders

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged the SAARC leaders for setting aside their differences and working on collective strength for bringing real prosperity of the people of the region. ‘SAARC can actually attain collective political will and ambitions. What is needed is to set aside our differences and work on collective strength for bringing real progress of the region,’ she said while addressing the inaugural session of the 18th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in City Hall in Kathmandu. Calling upon the SAARC leaders to undertake more realistic, result-
oriented and mutually beneficial partnership for cooperation to prosper together, she said, ‘Let that be our contribution to redeem our pledge to our people to leave a more peaceful, progressive, connected and knowledge-based South Asia.’ For achieving development faster, she said, the SAARC nations must deepen their collective efforts to develop, use and apply science-technology-innovation at all levels. The PM called for deeper cooperation in the areas of health, agriculture, food and climate change technologies saying a candid assessment and frank conversation among us is needed to bring dynamism in SAARC activities, according to a news agency.