Saturday, November 12 2005 15:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dhaka: In a move to open up the sky in South Asia, India today (November 12, 2005) unilaterally offered all SAARC nations the facility of mounting daily air services to six metros and an unlimited number to 18 other major destinations on a reciprocal basis.

It also announced the offer of granting Fifth Freedom Rights to all designated carriers of SAARC nations, under which these airlines could pick up passengers from Indian cities and fly off to third countries.

Announcing this at the 13th SAARC Summit here, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said New Delhi was "prepared to offer to all SAARC neighbours, on a reciprocal basis and without prejudice to existing rights, the facility of daily air services by designated airlines to out metropolitan cities... and as many services as they wish to eighteen other destinations all across India".

The metro cities offered were Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

"I would also like to offer to the designated airlines of SAARC countries the facility to exercise Fifth Freedom rights, both intermediate and beyond, within the SAARC region, on a reciprocal basis.

"We should encourage more air services and for this it may be worthwhile to provide, in our air agreements, multiple designation of airlines," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister sought an agreement at the Summit that all South Asian countries "provide to each other, reciprocally, transit facilities to third countries, not only connecting one another, but also connecting to the larger Asian neighbourhood, in the Gulf, Central Asia and South East Asia. India, which borders each of the members of the South Asia, is willing to do so".

Singh also announced India's offer to hold a South Asian Car Rally as a run-up to the next Summit.

"It would symbolise vividly our regional identity and also draw attention to the urgent need to improve our SAARC transport infrastructure," the Prime Minister said.

He said for the SAARC to be "different" in the next two decades, "we should take the first decision to reconnect the countries of the subcontinent on the one hand and then reconnect the subcontinent to the larger Asian neighbourhood on the other".

Singh said "we need to recharge and regenerate the arteries of transport and communication that bind us together and in turn link our region to the rest of Asia to reclaim the prosperity that is undoubtedly due".