President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has reinstated to not let the differences in belief and outlook hinder the efforts to achieving common goals as a region. The President made this remark at the statement issued on the occasion of the 33rd Anniversary of the founding of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Noting that SAARC region is a vast, densely populated area, characterized by social and cultural diversity, President Abdulla Yameen expressed that despite political drawbacks over the past three decades, SAARC succeeded in creating opportunities to amicably agree and move forward.
In this regard, President highlighted the importance of people-to-people contact in achieving the full potential of the SAARC region. Continuing on, President Yameen affirmed that education is a powerful tool for harnessing the true potential of the SAARC region. In this context. President said that, for a region with a low literacy rate, increased access and quality of education will contribute to eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development.
In the statement, President said that he firmly believes that SAARC should streamline its education systems to achieve poverty eradication goals enshrined in the SAARC Charter. The President assured that Maldives will continue to strive to work in concert for the betterment of the socio-economic, peace, security and stability of the region.
“SAARC is not exempt from global threats, such as climate change, terrorism and natural disasters. To address these global threats and fight them, we, as a region, need to unite and help each other,” President Yameen said in his message.
The Maldivian President ended his message by wishing SAARC and the region success.