Friday, November 11 2005 13:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dhaka: The stage is set for the twice-deferred SAARC Summit which is expected to outline a 'new vision' for addressing major issues like terrorism, poverty alleviation and regional cooperation and chart out a roadmap for economic integration of South Asian countries.

The SAARC Council of Ministers met today to finalise the draft Declaration that would be placed before the two-day Summit commencing tomorrow (Nov 12, 2005).

India is strongly pitching for the Dhaka Summit to send out a clear message that there must be 'zero tolerance' for terrorism in any form or manifestation.

Strengthening collective efforts to combat the scourge will be high on the agenda during the Summit deliberations. Recent terror strikes in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka have brought home the urgent need for working together to deal with this challenge.

Outlining India's approach on the issue ahead of the Summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made it clear that the fight against terrorism as also poverty in South Asia was an 'indivisible' one.

"No government can any longer pretend that what happens across the border is not going to hurt it internally," he stressed.

Singh has a packed schedule with a number of bilateral meetings being worked out on the margins of the SAARC Summit. He will have meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Bangladesh counterpart Khaleda Zia tomorrow. He will also meet Bhutan's Prime Minister Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup during his stay here.