Tag: SAARC

SAARC drafting natural disaster rapid response mechanism at meeting in Male’

The Maldives government is currently hosting an inter-governmental expert group meeting with SAARC leaders to create a natural disaster rapid response mechanism for member nations.

The meeting is being held at Traders Hotel in Male’ May 25-26 with the intention of finalising the draft agreement.

“Once the agreement enters into force, it will enable Member States to cooperate and extend assistance to Member States of SAARC in the event of devastating natural disasters. This will include deployment of rapid response and experts, rescue and relief operations, medical assistance, etc,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Furthermore this agreement will create a channel for flow of relief material and medical supplies and equipment without bureaucratic hindrances.”

The Maldives is hosting the 17th SAARC Summit this year on November 10-11.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Regional transport links on the agenda during SAARC Secretary General’s Maldives meeting

Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, the recently appointed Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), has met with President Mohamed Nasheed this week in the Maldives ahead of hosting an annual summit in Addu City later this year.

Saeed, a Maldivian herself as well as the first woman to be appointed to SAARC’s most senior post, used her visit to discuss a number of the association’s key policies with the president, including connectivity between the various members states through the development of a cargo ferry link.

During the discussions, Nasheed called on SAARC to try a reach a “material outcome” on the transport project by the time of the Addu conference expected to take place in May.

The association aims to cooperate over economic and social development issues and consists of eight member nations that include Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka as well as the Maldives.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

SAARC considers Maldivian for first female secretary general

Former Maldivian Attorney General Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed is reportedly set to be appointed as the first female secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The Hindu, an India-based newspaper, today reported that Saeed, who has previously served as the Maldives’ attorney-general, is expected to take the position from India’s Sheel Kant Sharma once he completes his three year stint as SAARC secretary general later this month.

According to the report, unnamed diplomatic sources have suggested that the appointment comes as the organisation aims to focus on issues of women’s empowerment and maternal healthcare.

A spokesperson for SAARC was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

The appointment of a new secretary general is expected ahead of a summit to be held by the regional organisation in the Maldives later this year.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

DQP accuses DRP of misleading the public over its Addu Atoll attitude

The Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has claimed that the public may have been misled over its views on hosting a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Addu Atoll next year by the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Some Rf231 million is expected to be included in the 2011 state budget to fund next year’s SAARC summit in Addu Atoll, which will try and outline projects and policy areas of collaboration for regional member states.

However, DRP MPs in parliament have argued that it would be wiser to spend the Rf231 million for the development of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah instead of using it to prepare for the SAARC summit.

DQP Deputy leader and MP Riyaz Rasheed said that he boycotted the parliament committee while researching the budget.

”It was not the intention of the DQP to work against the hosting of the SAARC summit in Addu Atoll, and we will not support such a plan,” said the party in a statement.

The DQP added that it wanted to try spending the SAARC money according to a strategy that will better benefit the people of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah, “instead of making the money go to the pockets of specific individuals.”

The DQP said the party had requested parliament to provide detailed information on the budget to all MPs in order ”to avoid making it something that solely benefits the relatives and close acquaintances of the ruling [Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)], like the government did last year.”

”This party will always try to avoid corruption in developing Addu Atoll and other atolls,” the DQP stated.

The party said that it did not wish to remove the money allocated in next year’s budget to hold the SAARC summit in the Maldives.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Alliance Party (PA), a group led by Abdulla Yamin, half brother of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and a fellow member of the opposition coalition, has also issued a statement regarding the DRP’s position on Addu Atoll.

The PA claimed that the DRP’s statement read in a way that could be considered to suggest that it was opposed to the development of the SAARC event and Addu Atoll itself.

”We do not oppose holding the SAARC summit in Addu Atoll,” said PA Secretary General Ahmed Shareef. ”We demand to upgrade the regional hospital of Addu and also demand to money to upgrade the Maldives’ College of Higher Education’s (MCHE) campus in Addu Atoll.”

Shareef claimed that the PA has been mainly trying to avoid having development money for the atoll wasted.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Regional action on piracy threat essential: Shihab tells SAARC

Dinghies suspected of being associated with piracy are arriving in the seas around the Maldives and a regional mechanism to counter piracy is needed, said the Maldivian minister of home affairs Mohamed Shihab at the SAARC home ministers meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, reports Miadhu Daily.

The SAARC Drug and Terrorism Offences Monitoring group also needs to be strengthened, Shihab said. Police chiefs, immigration controllers and home secretaries attended the meeting which was held from 23 to 26 June.

This month a dinghy with 6 men aboard was found floating in Maldives waters and rescued by local fishermen off Maamakunudhoo atoll in northern Maldives, reported Miadhu Daily. In May the MNDF rescued an Iranian fishing boat with 20 people aboard 75 miles west of Huvadhu atoll in southern Maldives, and an abandoned boat suspected of belonging to pirates was discovered off Laamu atoll just north of Huvadhu in April. In December 2009, fishermen from Addu atoll spotted a similar boat with seven Somalis in distress drifting off Hithadhoo island in southern Maldives.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

SAARC Summit – new road and convention centre for Addu atoll

The hosting of the next SAARC Summit in southern Maldives is the subject of government consultations in Male, according to reports claiming that senior government officials, the State Minister for South Province Mohamed Naseer, and citizens of the southern province have attended the meetings.

The construction of a convention centre in Addu atoll, and a new road, were also discussed.

People attending the meetings believed that it would be better if the convention centre could be built so it could be converted into a single hall once the SAARC Summit is over.

The Summit budget is expected to be US$10 million, and the government of Maldives hopes it will be raised from friendly countries and donors, says the President’s Office press secretary Zuhair. The government has begun fundraising for the event, he added.

“We have already got some kind of assistance from donors which could be utilised for the SAARC Summit. When these donations are connected with the projects for the Summit, we hope that the total budget for the meeting can be reduced,” says Zuhair.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Next SAARC summit to be held in Addu

President Mohamed Nasheed has announced the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit will be held next year in the South Province.

During his weekly radio address last Friday on the Voice of Maldives, the president said the summit could take place in both Addu and Fuahmulah Atolls.

President Nasheed acknowledged it would take a lot of work and preparation to hold the summit in Maldives, but said he was “confident a successful summit could be held in the South Province.”

Press Secretary for the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuahir, confirmed the summit will be held in the Maldives next year, but said a final date has not been set yet. “We are looking at April 2011.”

He said there would be “huge development” in the Southern Province, noting there was already “road building projects” underway in the islands. He said a new conference centre would be built for the summit, as well as other facilities such as indoor halls.

Zuhair added the development projects for the summit will cost “upward of US$10 million.” He said the money will be partly donated by other SAARC countries and partly sponsored by the Maldivian government.

“It’s the first time a SAARC summit is being held south of the Equator,” Zuhair said, “and it will highlight the Southern Province and give us a very good name.”

Maldives was meant to hold this year’s summit, “but due to economic recession” among other things, it was cancelled and held in Thimphu, Bhutan.

“As a member country, it is also our responsibility [to hold the summit],” he said.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem, said holding the summit in the Southern Province “symbolises unity in the country.”

He said “there are quite a lot of people living in the Southern Province and not everything has to be held in Malé.”

He added there is already a lot of infrastructure in the province, so the cost will be feasible for the government.

Maldives was meant to hold this year’s summit, he noted, but it was cancelled due to “some difficulties.”

“It’s a regional thing,” he said, “every [SAARC] country holds the summit.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President Nasheed meets with Chinese President

As part of his official visit to China for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, President Mohamed Nasheed met with Chinese President Hu Jintao yesterday at the International Convention Centre in Shanghai.

President Jintao said President Nasheed’s visit was a historic one and represented the importance of relations between China and the Maldives.

He thanked the government and people of the Maldives for their support of China and hoped to strengthen bilateral relations to benefit both countries. He said he hoped to increase mutual trust, economic and trade cooperation, and improve communication and coordination between the two governments.

President Jintao continued to say China would assist the Maldives in overcoming economic challenges, and pledged 50 million Chinese Yuan (US$7.3 million) in grant aid for the Maldives.

The Chinese president added climate change was an issue equally important to China as it is to the Maldives and assured support to the Maldives on the issue.

President Nasheed thanked the Chinese government and people for making an important contribution to the social and economic development of the Maldives.

He said the Maldives was facing many developmental challenges due to climate change, with fresh water and housing both in short supply.

President Nasheed encouraged Chinese companies working in renewable energy technologies to invest in the Maldives, thus improving their bid to become carbon-neutral by 2020 and creating an example on green technologies.

President Nasheed also briefed President Jintao on the recent sixteenth South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit that took place in Bhutan last week, as China is an observer country of the SAARC.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)