India says its vision for SAARC rests on five pillars of trade, investment, assistance, cooperation and contacts between our people. Addressing the inaugural function of two-day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation at Kathmandu today, the Prime Minister said that there is a need to improve connectivity among the people of SAARC region.

Raising the issue of 26/11 incident in Mumbai, on this date six years back in which hundreds of people were killed in the financial capital of the country, Mr. Narendra Modi said we remember the horror of the terror attack in 2008. He said we still see the endless pain of lost lives.

Prime Minister called upon all the SAARC members to work together to fulfill the pledge we have taken to combat terrorism and trans-national crimes. Calling for the sensitivity to each others security and lives of the people, he said this will deepen friendships, spur cooperation and advance stability in our region.

The Prime Minister offered a slew of new initiatives for the promotion of regional cooperation including in the field of health, education, sharing satellite to benefit in areas of education, tele-medicines, disaster response, resource management, weather forecasting and communication. Mr. Modi said that India will provide immediate medical visa for patients and attendants from the people of the SAARC region who wish to come to India for medical treatment.

Calling for greater economic cooperation between the nations of the region he said that less than 10 percent region internal trade take place under SAARC Free Trade Area.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is having structured meetings with the Heads of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives on the sidelines of the 18th SAARC Summit at Kathmandu, today.

He has already met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay.
Both India and Bangladesh Prime Ministers see greater role of cooperation among democracies of South Asia.

Mr. Tobgay who had a first bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi has tweeted that he had a good meeting with him he welcomed Mr. Modi’s leadership role in SAARC. He said Mr. Modi has invited him to attend Vibrant Gujarat coming January. Mr. Modi has also appreciated Bhutan National reading Year-2015 and assured to send experts who organized ‘Gujarat is reading’.