ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who leaves for Dhaka on Friday to lead Pakistan’s delegation at the 13th Saarc summit, will carry with him several proposals for revitalizing the seven-nation South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation.

The two-day summit will open on Saturday.

The summit will focus on evolving a vision for the Third Decade of Saarc and the prime minister is expected to share with other South Asian leaders Pakistan’s vision for the grouping before handing over the chairmanship to Bangladesh.

According to sources, prominent themes incorporated in Pakistan’s vision are: evolving mechanisms for confidence-building measures, preventive diplomacy, peaceful settlement of disputes and setting up of a Saarc Regional Forum to discuss security issues.

Pakistan has already circulated concept papers among member states on certain steps required to make the Saarc process more vibrant and meaningful. These pertain to strengthening of Saarc secretariat and holding one-day summit with one executive session and retreat. Other proposals are on project cooperation with participation of two or more member states in social sector; and a review of decisions, their implementation and impact on regional cooperation by Saarc Ministerial Troika Group.

Additionally, the prime minister will advocate establishing a Saarc Poverty Alleviation Fund with $300 million contributions from member states; a Saarc Cancer Hospital and a Saarc Medical University, sources told Dawn.

An expert group to formulate modalities for Saarc dialogue partnership with extra-regional states and organizations will be proposed as will be the sharing of best practices. The prime minister is also likely to reiterate the need for establishing a Saarc dialogue partnership on the lines of the Asean Regional Forum with interested countries such as China and Japan and with other regional groupings like the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Asean, and the EU.

A proposal for instituting an Asia-wide early warning and disaster response regime, made by the prime minister in his capacity as Saarc chairman soon after the tsunami hit the region last December, will also be taken up at the summit. Following the Oct 8 earthquake in Pakistan this proposal has assumed more relevance. Hence an important item on the Saarc agenda will be regional cooperation in preparedness and mitigation of natural disasters.

Pakistan is also likely to draw attention to building linkages between central banks of Saarc countries to promote coherent fiscal and monetary policies in the region.

Unlike the 12th Saarc summit in Islamabad at which key agreements on Social Charter and Additional Protocol on Terrorism were signed, no such breakthrough is expected at the Dhaka summit.

During its chairmanship, Pakistan has made substantive contribution in strengthening the Saarc process and enhancing its international profile. On Pakistan’s initiative the UN General Assembly accepted Saarc as an observer in December 2004. Also, Pakistan was instrumental in the adoption of Saarc Social Charter, signing of South Asia Free Trade Agreement, Additional Protocol on Terrorism and initiation of Saarc Energy Forum.

Saarc comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.