On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time addressed the leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Kathmandu in Nepal.
Here are the top quotes from his speech:
1) The future I wish for India is the future I wish for our entire South Asia
2) I have travelled the world from the middle of the Pacific to the Atlantic I see a rising tide of integration
3) There is much to learn from each other, even more - to do together
4) India and Bangladesh have deepened their links through rail, road, power and transit
5) India and Nepal have started a new era of cooperation in energy and, India and Bhutan are making those ties stronger by the day
6) As SAARC we have failed to move with the speed that our people expect and want
7) I know India has to lead and we will do our part. Hope, each of you will, too
8) Let's all make our procedures simple, our facilities better, our standards common and our paper work less burdensome
9) India will now give business visa for 3-5 years for SAARC Countries
10) Today, as we remember the horror of the terror attack in Mumbai in 2008, we feel the endless pain of lost lives. Let us work together to fulfil the pledge we have taken to combat terrorism and trans-national crimes
12) When we join our hands and walk in step, the path becomes easier, the journey quicker and the destination closer
13) Let us turn South Asia of flowering hope into a rich field of peace and prosperity
