Kathmandu, March 24
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressed the Boao Annual Forum-2016 in Boao, Hunan province of China, on Thursday, pointing that Asia should move ahead together on the road to progress and prosperity, without leaving any state behind.
Thanking the organiser and the Chinese government for the kind invitation to the forum, which he described as a platform for the cross-fertilisation of ideas — for Asia and of Asia — PM Oli said he has brought humble greetings from Nepal, the land where Buddha was born and induced the world to walk upon the path of peace. He took the occasion to thank all those states that welcomed Nepal’s landmark endeavour — promulgation of the constitution through a popularly elected Constituent Assembly.
Describing Asia as the land of multiple civilisations, all of them equally great and all of them equally rich, PM Oli said: It must continue to be the land of multiple and distinct civilisations, coexisting together in harmony.
The emergence of Asia as the global economic leader has brought Asia in the spotlight of the changing world order of the twenty-first century, he said, noting that the extraordinary performance of the Asian economies suggests the latitude of Asia’s prospects. The relentless effort of Asia till today suggests the inevitability of Asia’s bright future.
Advancements in innovation and technology have been encouraging, have been opening new avenues for the development, PM Oli said, adding: The momentous developments in information and communication technology; significant achievements in industrial productions bear potentials to vitalise the economic performance of Asia; to galvanise the future of Asia.
Such innovations must serve the cause of human progress, he said, adding: Technology must be accessible to all of the states without any prohibitive constraints. “To construct a prosperous and flourishing future by harnessing the dynamics of Asia; our efforts must build a cooperation model, which will equitably distribute the opportunities and benefits.”
“Our collective vision must create a cooperation model, which will enable a free flow of ideas, unimpeded links of trade, and an enduring instance of win-win situation; a cooperation model where the states do not exploit the vulnerabilities of others. And the vision for Asia must be accommodative and inclusive,” he said.
The dream of Asia’s future, the dream of peace and prosperity will be a failed cause if any of the Asian States is left behind, Oli warned, adding: The sustainability of development in Asia will fall apart if the development is not inclusive.
Our pursuit for ‘common destiny’ will go misspent if anyone is left behind, he said. “The Asian future should rest on the citadel of inclusiveness.”
“Without any doubt, Asia is emerging as the powerhouse of global economy, yet the vicious circle of poverty still stares at courtyard of Asia,” he said, asking the delegates to make no mistake that peace and poverty cannot go together. Growth of Asia must not be narrow in dimension and rise of Asia must not be extractive in approach, Ascent of Asia must not be fragile in structure, he said.
This is the huge moment for Asia, to seize the opportunities, to unleash the potentials and to march ahead towards new future, with new dynamics and new vision, he said, expressing hope that the gathering will bring the ideas together, will bring the commitments together, and will inject dynamism as well as novel vision. Oli expressed confidence that “we will, together, make a headway towards a prosperous future, a shared future of Asia.”
