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sri_bom Member
Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:13 am Post subject: Indian PM advocating Open skies iwth SAARC |
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Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, proposed member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) remove restrictions on direct services between their capitals (Xinhua, 03-Apr-07). India also announced a unilateral liberalisation of visas for students, teachers, professors, journalists and patients from SAARC nations.
Indian Government: “South Asia has flourished most when connected to itself and the rest of the world. We must commit to actually making the travel freer and easier… Let us aim to double the intra-SAARC flow of tourists in the next five years”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Source: Xinhua, 03-Apr-07. |
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HAWK21M Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 8132 Location: Mumbai, INDIA
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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Nice move.Its High time SAARC nations took this group seriously.
May be INdia being the Large member should take the lead,We'll def get support from all nations but one.
regds
MEL _________________ Think of the Brighter side !!! |
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karatecatman Guest
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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Well, this is not at all a new idea.
Way back in the late Eighties/Nineties, it was proposed by Rajiv Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto to have an umbrella organisation of all the flag carriers in the region. Air India was to lead followed by PIA, Biman, IA, Royal Nepal, Air Lanka, Druk Air and Maldives. Was to even include Ariana.
Idea was to have some kind of frequent flier exchange programme, pooling of technical resources and an airline alliance. Idea never took off.
All the State carriers are in a bad shape and things are now very different with the LCC market and private players. |
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BigTom Member
Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Posts: 271 Location: Dubai, UAE
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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Good move if it works. Also easing visa restrictions maybe a good idea. I remember when I was based in BKK and wanted to go to a friend's wedding in Karachi I was refused a visa only because I was a journalist. Journalists are viewed with suspicion in many countries. Nowadays visas to Pak are easier to get from DXB, especially if there is cricket on, but then only to the city where the match you have tickets for. Easing up travel restrictions among SAARC countries should also facilitate people-to-people contacts and break some of the propaganda-based myths we entertain about each other.
Cheers |
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the_380 Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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Today manmohan Singh and someone from Pakistan were in talks to increase air links between the two countries _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld
A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! |
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stealthpilot Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:48 am Post subject: |
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This certainly should be done, the sooner the better. Not only flights between the capitals but a complete open skies agreement.
India should try and convince the SAARC members to all adopt it, otherwise go ahead and make separate bilateral agreements with these countries. Complete open skies with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan and Nepal would be a boost; and opening up to these nations doesnt have the (not good enough) reasons/fears of opening up to the gulf carriers etc. _________________ eP007 |
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