Several Bangladesh proposals adopted in SAARC declaration: FM

The foreign minister has said several Bangladesh proposals have been incorporated in the ‘Kathmandu declaration’ at the end of the SAARC summit.

Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali briefing journalists on the outcomes of the summit at the foreign ministry on Saturday said they considered the summit “very successful”.

He said migration, blue economy and post-2015 development agenda in the 36-point SAARC declaration were Bangladesh’s proposals.

According to Ali, the major achievement of the summit is the signing of the agreement to share electricity from a common grid.

Bangladesh pushed for the pact even after the summit was adjourned without agreement last Wednesday.

“The leaders may discuss the issue during the retreat,” the foreign minister had told bdnews24.com. “We are still hopeful”.

The framework agreement on energy cooperation was a priority for the electricity-starved Bangladesh.

The minister, on Saturday, said the signing would pave the way of selling and buying electricity among the member states.

Replying to a question, he said it would have been ‘disappointing’ for the host Nepal if any of the expected deals were not signed.

“They (Nepal) wanted to get those agreements signed. We were supporting them. And at some point we understood that something would happen. The energy framework was easier one (to be signed),” he said when asked what made Bangladesh upbeat when all hopes were all but lost.

He said repealing the threshold of SAARC food bank and constituting the SAARC seed bank were the other areas of achievements of the summit.

He said the collective declaration also adopted Bangladesh’s proposal to set up SAARC Cyber Crimes Monitoring Desk.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led Bangladesh delegation to the two-day 18th summit that ended Thursday.

She had called upon the member states to come forward setting differences aside on the basis of mutual friendship and cooperation in her speech.

Hasina also held bilateral meetings with her India, Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan counterparts.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, and Secretary (bilateral) Mustafa Kamal were present, among others, at the press conference.