Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom today said India was prepared to attend the SAARC Summit at Dhaka at a date convenient to other members. The issue, he added, was discussed during his meetings with the Indian leadership and both sides were now ready to attend the summit that has already been postponed twice.‘‘We discussed when the 13th SAARC summit can be convened. Both India and the Maldives are ready to meet at any time convenient to other leaders.We hope that dates convenient for all will be identified soon,’’ said Gayoom at a media interaction today.The summit, which was planned from January 9 to 11, was put off in the wake of the tsunami tragedy. It was subsequently agreed to hold the summit in the first week of February, but this was deferred after India pulled out, citing the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh.New Delhi also took note of the developments in Nepal, where King Gyanendra dismissed the Sher Bahadur Deuba government and declared emergency on February 1, while deciding against attending the summit. Pakistan, which holds the current chairmanship of SAARC, has suggested that the summit be held in April.Further, Gayoom said Maldives expressed support for India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council as a measure that reflected current realities and India’s role in world affairs. ‘‘We believe the UN Security Council must reflect the realities of our times in order to strengthen its effectiveness and relevance.’’On defence cooperation, Gayoom said India had agreed to provide the support Maldives needs for training its military personnel and police. Maldives has asked for an increase in the number of slots in training courses for its security personnel.Apart from the Prime Minister, Gayoom held meetings with President Kalam, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani.The Maldives President, who is among the longest serving heads of government in Asia, said his country was pursuing a reform agenda to become a modern and mature democracy. He has presented a 31-point reform package to the people’s Special Majlis or the Constituent Assembly, and requested them to complete the work of amending the constitution in a year’s time.
