New Delhi, July 31
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves here tomorrow for Colombo to attend the 15th SAARC summit, which is expected to come out strongly against the scourge of terrorism that has impeded the economic progress of South Asia.

Being held against the backdrop of the July 7 deadly suicide bomb attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul and the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, the summit, which opens on Saturday, will consider a regional framework for cooperation among the eight SAARC members for cooperation in tackling terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

In a statement tonight on the eve of his departure Manmohan Singh said in the 23 years since SAARC was established, the South Asian region has traversed a long distance. “Today, there is a realisation amongst SAARC countries that it is only by cooperating within SAARC that we will be able to strengthen ourselves individually and as a region and address the many common challenges that face us.”

He recalled that at the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi in April last year, the grouping had agreed to move SAARC from a phase of declaration to a phase of implementation and action.

As part of this approach, several initiatives have been taken, notably the establishment of the SAARC Development Fund, the SAARC Food Bank, the proposal to establish a South Asian University, SAFTA and greater people-to-people contacts.

“I am confident that the forthcoming Summit will consolidate these gains and provide an impetus to the implementation of the many decisions that are in place,” he said. At the two-day summit, the Prime Minister will hand over the baton to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the new chairman of the grouping.

Other leaders who will attend the summit are President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives, Nepal’s caretaker Prime Minister G.P. Koirala, Bangladesh Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Bhutan Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

Briefing reporters on Manmohan Singh’s visit, an external affairs ministry spokesman said representatives of the US, EU, China, South Korea, Japan and Iran would attend the summit as observers.

Australia and Myanmar have also shown interest in becoming observers at SAARC meetings and a decision on the issue could be taken at the Colombo summit.

Immediately on his arrival in Colombo tomorrow afternoon, the Prime Minister will have a meeting with the Sri Lankan President to review the entire gamut of bilateral ties, including the recent incidents of firing on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. He will also be meeting a group of persons of Indian origin (PIOs) tomorrow.