India Has to Lead, It Will Do Its Part: PM Narendra Modi at SAARC

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the SAARC summit in Nepal. SAARC or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is a grouping that comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Here are the highlights from his speech:

• Greetings to observer countries present here...
• The future I dream for India is a future I wish for our entire region
• This is my first SAARC Summit
  
• But it is second time I am meeting most of you together
• I see a rising tide of integration and negotiations on major trade agreements
  
• Such as regional comprehensive economic partnership, transpacific partnership
  
• Ours is a region of thriving democracy
  
• I see a rising tide of integration and negotiation on major trade agreements
  
• Nowhere in the world are collective efforts more urgent than in South Asia
• A good neighbourhood is a universal aspiration
  
• Where does our region stand?
  
• In the last few months I've travelled around the world, from middle of the Pacific to Atlantic Ocean
  
• We face the same challenges, a long climb to the summit of development 
• When we speak of SAARC we usually hear two reactions; I am sorry to say - cynicism and skepticism
• This is sadly in a region which is throbbing with optimism of our youth
  
• Today less than 10 percent of region's internal trade under SAARC free trade area
  
• Indian companies are investing billions abroad but less than one per cent in our region
• It's still harder to travel within our region than Bangkok and Singapore and more expensive to talk to each other
  
• South Asia is slowly coming together
  
• India and Bangladesh doing more on roads and power
  
• India and Nepal doing energy cooperation
  
• With Sri Lanka we have a free trade agreement and we will soon launch a new agreement to meet needs of Maldives
  
• Sustained people to people contact between India and Afghanistan
  
• At SAARC we have failed to move at speed which we want
  
• Is it because we are stuck behind the walls of our differences and hesitant to move out of shadows of our past?
  
• This will deprive us of opportunities
• We must use most direct routes of trade. India has to take the lead and we will do our part.
  
• When I thought of coming to Kathmandu by road it made many officials in India nervous because of condition of roads
  
• Think of what we are doing to our consumers and environment
  
• We must reduce distance between producers and consumers and use most direct trade route
  
• India will do its part
  
• Infrastructure is our region's greatest weakness
  
• Infrastructure is my greatest priority in India
• I promise to ensure that our facilities at the border will speed up not slow down trade
• India will give business visas for 3-5 years for SAARC countries
• Let us all make our procedures simpler, facilities better, our standards common and paperwork less burdensome
• We need Cross border industrial corridors
  
• If we can light up each others towns and villages we can build a brighter tomorrow
  
• Let us think of electricity as a commodity that you invest and trade in
• Connectivity by rail and road are so important. And also by air. Will not only make a difference to people's lives but also promote tourism in the region 
• We should use the strength of shared heritage
  
• We could begin with Buddhist circuit but don't have to stop there
• India will provide medical visa for patient and one attendant
• We plan to launch our satellite for the SAARC region by the SAARC Day in 2016
  
• If we are sensitive to each others security and lives of our people it will spur cooperation
  
• Today as we remember Mumbai terror attack, we feel endless pain of loss of lives
  
• Let us work together to fulfil pledge to combat terrorism and transnational crimes
  
• Trade, investment, assistance, cooperation  and people contacts
  
• Age of social media whee boundaries matter little 
• In Hindi: We say ek ke saath ek khade hotey hain to ek ek karke numbers rise
  
• For SAARC nations, call of times, hum paas paas hain par saath saath nahi hain (we are together but we are still not united)
  
• We are meeting in the lap of Himalayas
  
• Today it is calling us to act
  
• Let us work to change cynicism to optimism