I am confident that the conference in this great capital city of Beijing shall be a landmark as it would discuss the major contemporary issues being faced by the region of Asian and would adopt necessary steps in order to address them!

Asia Pacific region — despite its abundant natural resource, is home to two thirds of the world’s poor living on less than one dollar a day, mainly owing to utterly inadequate regional institution capable of forging common and cooperative security. As a consequence, conflict and anomie — because of inequalities, poverty and deprivation, have marred the entire region. Currently the Asia region confronts chiefly five challenges :terrorism, persistent poverty, increasing energy insecurity, dreadful diseases, and assault to democratic ideals; which, as we think, have placed the borough at risk. The terrorism — which is an affront to the humanity, has raised its hydra-heads — in the name of radical doctrines, fundamentalism and feral separatism. Unemployment, illiteracy, poor health and unskilled human capital and degrading environment are the salient features of the region. The gruff use of energy resources has cluttered the ecology of the borough. In addition, while in the post-cold war era, democracy has widely been recognized as an ideal system of governance; ironically, in the course of Global War against Terrorism, the phenomena of restricted democracy and militarization have also been noticed encouraged!

These strenuous challenges need to be faced collectively yet solemnly, otherwise; economic and political environment of the region will continue to muddle. Therefore, countries of the Asia Pacific should opt for a sustainable multilateral cooperation in order of exploiting resources to alleviate poverty and diseases, conserving nature and its environment, and combating terrorism for securing peace and stability in the region. The guiding philosophy in this regard, is the idea that individually a nation can do much but with others’ cooperation, it can do a lot. In this context, I must praise the role of regional regimes — including APEC, ASEAN and SAARC. As I hail from the latter, the recent Statement of Resolutions (SOR) of Regional Transmission System and Electric Utility Operators-held in Nepal for establishing power grid with a view to share resources for energy security in the SAARC, should be able to draw the attention of this eminent gathering.

The political realm in Nepal has been untidy and passing through the most difficult point of time.

Apart from the fractured buoyancy between democratic forces and the King, the entire Nepali society has been best also by the terror unleashed by the Maoist insurgents. Because of the nine long years of insurgency and conflict, thousands of people have been killed and many have been displaced and tortured in Nepal. People — in general, have been secluded and are the victims of the legitimate and illegitimate militia. In this ominous political environment, Nepal urgently needs peace through reactivation of the democratic process that has been derailed by the actions of insurgents and royal takeover. More the democratic process is denied or delayed, the effect of the Nepalese conflict is likely to spill over in the region. In order of achieving the democratic process and peace in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, Nepal urgently requires the policy of national unity and reconciliation — the righteous policy promoted by late B.P. Koirala in 1976, for this noble objective the people’s institution i.e. parliament (House of Representatives)-of which the crown is also an integral part, must be revived as soon possible. It would help formation of a credible government, extricate the constitutional monarchy from controversy, initiate genuine dialogue with the rebels to bring them into the mainstream politics, enhance the prospects of Continuity and Change in the domain of politics and finally; herald peace and prosperity, not only in Nepal but also in the region.