ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: The Saarc countries will celebrate on Wednesday the 19th anniversary of the signing of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Charter.

The Saarc charter was signed in Dhaka on Dec 8, 1985, by seven member states - Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal.

The charter enunciates promotion of peace, stability, progress in the region, fostering mutual understanding and good neighbourly relation among the member countries.

It also calls for enhancing economic, social and technical cooperation among the member states for promoting welfare, improving the quality of life, accelerating growth, cultural development and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potential.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in a written message on a Saarc charter day released to media on Tuesday said that since the signing of the charter, 'we have come a long way in our collective endeavours to promote regional cooperation under the Saarc aegis'.

Pakistan has an abiding commitment to the realization of the goals of the Saarc charter. Guided by the charter, Pakistan has always made sincere efforts to promote peace, stability, amity and progress in the region.

Cooperation under Saarc must pay due attention to bridging inequities both within the region and within our societies. Benefits of cooperation for development must be spread evenly in South Asia to ensure a region-wide uplift of the quality of life of our people.

Saarc, in its third decade of existence should be more result oriented and issue driven, he added. Mr Aziz in the message said that as current chairman of Saarc, Pakistan has endeavoured to broaden and deepen regional cooperation as well as enhance Saarc's global profile.