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Islamabad SAARC Ministerial Statement on Cooperation Against Terrorism |
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The Third Meeting of SAARC Ministers of Interior/Home was held in Islamabad on 26th June 2010. The Sri Lanka delegation to the Ministerial Meeting was led by the Minister of Public Management Reforms, Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka. The Meeting which was attended by all SAARC Member States was chaired by the Minister of Interior of Pakistan, Mr. Rehman Malik.
The Ministerial Meeting was preceded by the Meeting of Secretaries of Interior/Home, the 3rd Meeting of SAARC Immigration Authorities, the 8th SAARC Conference on Cooperation in Police Matters, the 3rd Meeting of the Focal Points of the SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk (STOMD), and the 3rd Meeting of the Focal Points of the SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD).
The range of issues discussed at the Meetings included ways to strengthen the Colombo-based SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk and Drug Offences Monitoring Desk, which are the nodal agencies in the fight against these scourges.
The Ministers, at the conclusion of the Meeting, adopted the ‘Islamabad SAARC Ministerial Statement on Cooperation Against Terrorism’. The Statement recognizes that terrorism poses a serious threat to the peace and security of the region and expresses deep concern at the continuing scourge of terrorism afflicting the region which has caused extensive loss of human life, destruction and damage to property;
The Statement takes note of the fact that peace and harmony, friendly and good neighbourly relations, and cooperation and prosperity of the region are being threatened by terrorism and recognizes that sovereign equality, mutual respect and the principles of non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of Member States consistent with the SAARC Charter, shall remain the basis of the cooperation in the war against terror.
Ministry of External Affairs
Colombo
2nd July 2010 |
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