The Prime Minister has said, India remains firmly committed to principles and ideals of SAARC and will go the extra mile to make SAARC an effective organisation that benefits all citizens of South Asia. Inaugurating the 5th Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians in New Delhi last evening, Dr. Manmohan Singh said that India provides opportunities for all of South Asia to benefit from its economic growth and vast market. He reminded New Delhi has already granted open access to its market for common regional economic growth. Deliberating on intro-regional trade since the introduction of South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006, Dr. Singh said that it has grown to the tune of 1.2 billion US Dollars. 2010-2020 has been declared as the Decade of Intro-regional Connectivity in SAARC. The SAARC Developent Fund is now well-established and the SAARC Regional Food Bank has been set up to meet food emergencies in the region. The Prime Minister exhorted the SAARC nations for closer cooperation in various spheres for bilateral and multilateral inclusive growth as no country can prosper in isolation. He stressed on sharing of common knowledge and resources. Warning against the unabated scourge of terrorism, Dr. Manmohan Singh urged all the SAARC nations to come together to fight the menace of terrorism. He compared terrorism to cancer and said that it will consume all the peoples of SAARC region if not checked in time. In her welcome address, the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Chairman of the Conference Mrs. Meira Kumar said that Parliamentarians as the keepers of the people's will must understand the importance of democratic institutions that encourage social cohesion and inclusiveness.