UN General Assembly
1986

However, efforts to curb the menace of terrorism in South Asia are, as the Assembly is well aware, only one of the many areas that have been identified for co-operation among members of SAARC. Though the scope and significance of regional co-operation among the nations of South Asia is immense and a beginning only has been made in regional co-operation for the socio-economic development of the teeming millions of people in South Asia, I am pleased to say that the idea has, despite some early adverse predictions, very definitely, and happily, struck root. We believe that, apart from providing an effective instrument for co-operation in our region, the creation of SAARC comes at a time when the weakening of global economic independence and difficulties in the restructuring of the international economic order mean that there are greater responsibilities than ever before on South-South co-operation.