Saarc effectiveness enhanced with Pak-India dialogue: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said here on Sunday that importance and effectiveness of Saarc forum had increased due to onging process of dialogue between Pakistan and India. He was talking to the media prior to departure for Maldives on a three-day visit to attend the 17th Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) conference at Old Airport here.
The Prime Minister said that Saarc had earlier been losing its effectiveness and could not progress ahead due to tense relations between the two major countries of the South Asia. He said that importance of Saarc forum has now increased multifold since Islamabad and New Delhi entered into discussing their mutual disputes on a dialogue table. He said that Pakistan and India have a dialogue procedure under which everything is going in the right direction.
About importance of Saarc he said that the PPP-led government has been giving significance to the Saarc forum adding that he had never missed any Saarc Conference since becoming prime minister. Gilani said that commencement of 17th Saarc Conference showed that there was determination and will among the member states to work together for betterment of the region.
He said that the forum would definitely focus on the Conference's theme 'Building the Bridges' by discussing all possible ways and means for mutual co-operation through rail, road and sea routes. The Prime Minister said that on the sidelines of the Conference he would meet the Presidents of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and the Prime Ministers of India, Bhutan and Nepal, and the Saarc Secretary General. A 12 -member delegation to the 17th Saarc Conference includes Communications Minister Arbab Alamgir, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri and others.