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  • US seeks to join south Asia grouping

    US seeks to join south Asia grouping

    DHAKA - 30 March 2006 -The United States wants to join the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an observer, Bangladesh Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan said on Thursday.


    The request was formally made by the visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State John Gastright who arrived Dhaka on Thursday on a two-day visit.

    “We support the US request to become an observer of SAARC and hope all other members of the forum also welcome it,” Khan told reporters after a meeting with Gastright.

    Earlier South Korea also made a similar request for SAARC observer status, foreign ministry officials said.

    SAARC was formed in 1985, but its aim of bringing regional prosperity through cooperation has failed to get off the ground.

    It has taken few multilateral initiatives and many of its summits have been postponed, sometimes for years, because of strife within nations or between them.

    Bangladesh, the current chair of the grouping, will host a meeting of the SAARC Standing Committee, made up of the foreign secretaries of the member states, to finalise the terms and conditions for the observers, the officials said.

    Gastright also discussed bilateral issues including cooperation in combating terrorism and asked Bangladesh “to do more” in curbing domestic extremism, they said.

    Bangladesh has been rocked by a series of bomb attacks since August last year -- which killed at least 30 people and wounded 150 -- that are blamed on Islamist militants fighting for introduction of sharia law in the mainly Muslim democracy.

    SAARC groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

    During the 13th SAARC summit in Dhaka in November last year, the new membership was granted to Afghanistan and observer status to China and Japan.

    Afghanistan would be formally integrated to the grouping later this year, officials said.

  • #2
    I don't see why the US should be granted an observer status.
    SAARC is a regional thing!

    Comment


    • #3
      Uncle trying SEATO again. I wonder if it can work, especially with Pkaistan, Bangladesh and Nepal in the Chicom embrace. Too late uncle.
      I rant, therefore I am.

      Comment


      • #4
        SAARC is largely dysfunctional anyway. There'll be no hotdogs here for uncle Sam !

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Karthik
          SAARC is largely dysfunctional anyway. There'll be no hotdogs here for uncle Sam !
          Disfunctional at present maybe, but it could become a potential powerblock in (near) future.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Neo
            Disfunctional at present maybe, but it could become a potential powerblock in (near) future.
            I'm not as optimistic as you are on that Neo. :)
            Last edited by Karthik; 31 Mar 06,, 16:43.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Karthik
              I'm not as optimistic as you are on that Neo. :)
              I can understand that.
              But you've got to have perspective bro. Picture SAARC in 10 or 20 years from now.
              :)

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Neo
                Disfunctional at present maybe, but it could become a potential powerblock in (near) future.
                hehe.. thats utterly funny. The only reason SAARC has semblence of any standing is because of India.
                Lets face it SAARC is India. Without India theres absolutely nothing there.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Vaman
                  hehe.. thats utterly funny. The only reason SAARC has semblence of any standing is because of India.
                  Lets face it SAARC is India. Without India theres absolutely nothing there.
                  Thats blind patriotism talking dude.
                  But whatever, I respect your opinion.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    That is a fact sonny boy. Patriotism has nothing to do with it.
                    Just imagine what would be talked about at Saarc if India werent in attendance.
                    Pakistan couldnt very well pass time talking about its burning central core issue.
                    Bangladesh and Nepal would have nothing to talk about in terms of trade and development issues ( a large chunk of their exports, imports and investments are with India).
                    and so on...

                    IN any case I dont care for India's membership in Saarc anyway. The term dysfunctional someone else used is absolutely correct. It just another one of those worthless forums where hardly anything constructive gets done. I prefer India choose a bilateral mode of engagement with some of the neighboring countries. Its a more effiecient way of doing things. Personally I think we have done a great deal wth countries like SriLanka in that fashion.
                    Last edited by Vaman; 31 Mar 06,, 20:19.

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                    • #11
                      SAARC be successful? Impossible. Especially when 3 countries have whored themselves to a strong contender of South Asia. Gee, great prospects!
                      I rant, therefore I am.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        If China can be an observer, I wonder why not the US?

                        China has that much of interest as that US has.

                        China has trade and security interest in the South Asian countries and so has the US.

                        US technology is esential to "fire" South Asian industries and if the US is an observer, it will have a better understanding of the South Asian needs.


                        "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                        I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                        HAKUNA MATATA

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Neo
                          Thats blind patriotism talking dude.
                          But whatever, I respect your opinion.
                          Originally posted by Neo
                          I don't see why the US should be granted an observer status.
                          SAARC is a regional thing!
                          And that is blind regionalism. Frankly in your mind I have very strong feeling it's more to do with the fact that it's the United States, rather than a non-South-Asian country, wishing to join as observer.

                          But I could just be guessing.
                          HD Ready?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Ray
                            If China can be an observer, I wonder why not the US?

                            China has that much of interest as that US has.

                            China has trade and security interest in the South Asian countries and so has the US.
                            China is next door, they have their regional concerns and interests about what goes around. China cannot be ignored as growing power. SAARC will gain by interacting with China or even with the Shanghai group.
                            Btw, China was granted observer status only after India sucessfully lobbied for inclusion of Afghanistan.

                            US technology is esential to "fire" South Asian industries and if the US is an observer, it will have a better understanding of the South Asian needs.
                            Valid point there and if American interference is restricted to economic interests only it might do us all good.
                            But we both know that it will not be the case. US is seeking ground to enhance political interest aswell.
                            SAARC should have an independant regional policy, putting our own interest in the first place.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by HistoricalDavid
                              And that is blind regionalism. Frankly in your mind I have very strong feeling it's more to do with the fact that it's the United States, rather than a non-South-Asian country, wishing to join as observer.

                              But I could just be guessing.
                              No Sir!
                              Please tell me, does the USA enjoy observer status in the EU, ASEAN or other major blocks?
                              My objections to US getting access to SAARC are of poilitical nature, I disapprove their foreign policy and don't want any of that in the region.
                              SAARC can work and grow, even without US interference.
                              Thats just my opinion..

                              Comment

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