Home Ministers from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation nations discussed ways to strengthen police cooperation and other means to combat terrorism that has afflicted the region. The SAARC Interior Ministers' conference, attended by Home Minister P Chidambaram, also discussed proposals like maritime security and anti-piracy operations under the SAARC charter.
The maritime security proposal has been mooted by Sri Lanka and Maldives. The conference also discussed issues related to SAARC visas in the backdrop of proposals for expanding this category of travel documents. At present MPs, judges, 100 identified business leaders, sports persons and 150 journalists are availing the SAARC Visa facility. Police networking was on top of the agenda at the meeting. A mechanism for police cooperation is already in place for the last two years but it has not really taken off, the sources said,
The meeting was also attended by Home Ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutanand Maldives. At the meeting, Chidambaram is expected to press for early ratification by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal of the SAARC Mutual Legal Assistance agreement on criminal matters to ensure that terrorism is combated effectively. The agreement was reached at the SAARC Summit inColombo in 2008.
India to press for SAARC anti-terror co-operation