India has offered to all Saarc neighbours the facility for daily air services to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata, and as many services as they wish, to 18 other destinations all across India.
Addressing the Saarc Summit Meeting in Dhaka on Saturday, the Indian Prime Minister called for improving air connectivity, on reciprocal basis, with designated airlines of Saarc countries through the facility to "exercise fifth freedom rights," both intermediate and beyond the Saarc region.
"We should encourage more air services and for this it may be worthwhile to provide, in our air agreements, multiple destinations of airlines," he added.
Dr Singh also suggested that the seven member countries should pool resources to create a 'centre of excellence', in the form of a 'South Asian University', providing world class facilities and professional faculty to gifted students and researchers to work together in the service of human advancement. He said that India was willing to make a major contribution to the realisation of this project over the next three to four years. "We can certainly host this institution, but are equally prepared to cooperate in creating a suitable venue in any other member country," he said.
The Indian premier also proposed establishment of a regional food bank to meet shortages and losses caused by natural calamities in any member state through a network of storage depots across the region, with member countries contributing shares on the basis of their capacity and availability of surpluses.
He also offered to establish a 'Saarc Museum of Textiles and Handicrafts' to preserve and foster the valuable legacy of exquisite handicrafts and textiles within the South Asian region.
"This 'museum' could sponsor training of craftsmen, foster design skills, hold promotional events such as fashion shows and demonstrations by artisans and also undertake research. We should also explore the setting up of retail outlets in each of our capitals to promote our textiles and handicrafts region-wise.
"If we want the next 20 years for Saarc to be different, from the first 20, "we must first decide to reconnect the countries of the subcontinent, on the one hand, and then reconnect the subcontinent to the larger Asian neighbourhood, on the other."
He called for all Saarc countries to provide each other, on reciprocal basis, transit facilities to third countries, not only connecting one another, but also connecting the Gulf, Central Asian and South East Asia. He said India, which borders each of the members of South Asia, "is willing to do so".
APP ADDS: Speaking at the summit, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia called for resolving problems among member states of Saarc for creating a more dynamic and prosperous region to realise the aspirations of its people for a peaceful and progressive South Asia.
She called for learning lessons from other regional organisations. "The lessons of the last 20 years (of Saarc) lead us to one conclusion. Factors constraining effective regional co-operation are mindsets and perceptions emanating from the past," Khaleda Zia said.
Underlining the need for resolving problems, the Bangladesh leader posed the question: "Can Saarc construct an economic partnership without first resolving the problems in which some of our countries are locked in today?"
"We should not opt for an 'either or' approach in this respect."
Begum Zia referred to the historic 12th Saarc Summit in Islamabad that signalled some moves towards discussion of problematic issues, saying it was recognised that for realisation of a South Asian Economic Union, there was a need to create an enabling political and economic environment.
She said that lessons from other regional organisations showed that simultaneous movement was required on all fronts, both political and economic.
Future Saarc initiatives to create a more dynamic and prosperous South Asia should benefit from these lessons, she added.
Begum Zia noted with satisfaction that all the South Asian countries were united on combating terrorism.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister said the 12th Saarc Summit adopted an Additional Protocol to the Saarc Regional Convention to deal effectively with the financing of terrorism.
Four countries, including Bangladesh and Pakistan, have ratified the Protocol.
She urged the remaining members to expedite their ratification so that the Protocol can come into force "possibly by end of the year."
The Bangladeshi premier paid tributes to Pakistan for hosting the 12th Saarc Summit and for the bold steps initiated by it.