The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Colombo

A 3-day SAARC Journalists Summit-IV ended here yesterday amid assurance by the SAARC Foreign Ministers that their respective governments would look into a critical demand for free movement of journalists and media products and easing visa regimes.

South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) organized the conference coinciding with the 15th SAARC summit that begins in the Sri Lankan capital yesterday.

Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Bhutanese Foreign Minister Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, Indian External Affairs Minister Parnab Mukherjee, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid, Nepalese Foreign minister Gyan Chandra Acharya, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollgama attended the concluding session on 'Freedom of Media in Conflicting Situation'.

SAFMA secretary general Imtiaz Alam said the 14th SAARC summit in New Delhi decided to issue 50 SAARC visa stickers for journalists in each member country, but excepting Bangladesh no other member country has implemented it in last one year.

Referring to the Delhi summit's theme "connectivity" and Colombo summit's theme "partnership for the people", Alam said it needs free movement of the people among the SAARC countries to implement those themes.

He said the region would suffer from information deficit if free flow of information and journalists are not allowed.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said: "We must aim at relentlessly translate the idea of common South Asian identity. Unless we can connect the minds and hearts of one and a half billion South Asian men, women, youth and children, it'll be difficult to realize the true gains of cooperation."

He emphasized on facilitating movement of people in the region, businessmen and women, students, faculty, scientists and researchers, media personnel, artists and cultural troupes.

The Adviser said time is ripe for further liberalization of visa regimes gradually to enhance people to people contact.