MALE: Ways to combat terrorism, piracy and trafficking in narcotics today came up for discussion among Interior and Home Ministers of the eight-member SAARC grouping in their crucial meeting at a Maldivian resort.
Cyber crimes, trafficking in women and children in South Asia and mutual assistance in criminal matters were other issues discussed at the fifth meeting of the SAARC Home/Interior Ministers, which was inaugurated by Maldives Vice President Mohamed Waheed Deen at Bandos Island Resort.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who arrived here on Monday, represented India at the crucial meet.
In his inaugural address, Waheed Deen said that SAARC was embarking on highlighting one of the most important issues that face all the nations of the world — its security.
“Security today, internal and external, is most important, especially in the high seas. Security of each nation is extremely important for their independence and to remain as a sovereign state. Therefore this meeting of Ministers of Interior and Home is very crucial at this moment, when the whole world is in turmoil,” he said.
He also drew attention of the delegates to the “serious threats” faced by the Maldives like piracy, drug smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism and hoped that solutions would be found.
Maldives had hosted the 17th SAARC summit in November last year.
The Home Ministers’ meeting reviewed the progress in implementation of the decisions arrived at during their last meeting.
The first meeting of Home and Interior Ministers of SAARC nations was held in Dhaka in 2006 after it was decided at the 13th SAARC summit that Home Ministers would meet annually to strengthen cooperation against terrorism.
The grouping comprises India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan. -PTI
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