India asks SAARC members to rally against terrorism

Thimphu (Bhutan), Apr.27 (ANI): India has asked other SAARC members to rally against forces of terrorism.

Addressing the SAARC Council of Ministers meeting here, Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said: "Terrorism poses a serious danger to the economic stability of any civilized society. The South Asian region is particularly afflicted by this menace. The time has come for us to rally against the forces of terrorism that seek to divide and weaken our societies."

India also asked fellow SAARC members to support the early ratification of regional instruments such as the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters signed at the Colombo in 2008, and the proposed UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

Krishna expressed the hope that crucial agreements on motor vehicles, railways, rapid response to natural disasters, multilateral arrangement of conformity assessment activities of goods and services and regional MRA on product certification will also be finalized at the earliest.

Pakistan has reportedly vetoed the agreement on rapid response to natural disasters, citing security concerns. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)