ISLAMABAD : The 15th Saarc Summit to be held in Colombo on August 2-3 will focus on food security and energy crisis being faced by the members of the organisation with a view to further promote and enhance cooperation in the region to face these challenges.

This was stated by Foreign Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Rohitha Bogollagama while addressing a press conference here at local hotel along with High Commissioner of Sri Lanka.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said he is visiting Pakistan to extend invitation from President of Sri Lanka to the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to attend the 15th Saarc Summit being hosted by Sri Lanka.

He said there has been significant progress by Saarc in a number of areas like poverty alleviation, but said there still was need for strengthening this regional forum, especially in the fields of regional cooperation, environment, agriculture and food, water and energy security.

The theme for the forthcoming 15th Saarc Summit is “partnership for the betterment of the people” and all the member states are interested to make progress in this regard, he added.

Commenting on Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s bilateral relations, he said the two countries have historic ties and there is lot of scope for religious tourists to Pakistan from Sri Lanka.

The Foreign Minister said after signing Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, there has been tremendous increase the bilateral trade.

He said FTA has given a boost to economic ties between the two countries and the bilateral trade is growing.

He said Saarc is working on right track to promote trade and economic activities within the region and expressed the hoped that it will make further progress in this regard.

Regarding bilateral disputes and Saarc’s role, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister said such bilateral disputes are not within the jurisdiction of the Saarc charter therefore they are not discussed in the Saarc Summit.

He said Saarc has anther development to set up Poverty Alleviation Fund that has over $ 300 million so far.

Referring to promote Pak-Sri Lankan relations, the Foreign Minister said Sri Lanka has good achievements in health and education and share its experience with Pakistan in these fields.

He said there is also scope for further improvement in the Telecommunication Sector.

The Foreign Minister said Pakistan and Sri Lanka have also been cooperating in the security sector.

Answering a question, he said, there are some Pakistani prisoners in the Sri Lanka jails, some of them are involved in the drug related cases. He said both the countries are working to sign agreement for exchange of prisoners so that the Pakistani prisoners could be repatriated to Pakistan to complete their remaining sentences. APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2007

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