- The Heads of State or Government noted that the Thirteenth Summit
was taking place at an important moment in the evolution of South
Asia when SAARC stood at the threshold of a new decade of its
existence. They agreed that the Summit provided a unique opportunity
to consolidate the gains made in regional cooperation during its
first two decades and to chart a forward-looking strategy to promote
effective cooperation at all levels to realize the objectives and
principles set out in the Charter of the Association.
- The Heads of State or Government noted that cooperation and
partnership within the framework of SAARC is based on the sound
foundation of shared values, beliefs and aspirations. The objectives
and goals of SAARC, they affirmed, were of continuing relevance and
importance to all Member States. The dynamics of recent political
and economic changes in South Asia and the world highlighted the
importance of, and the compelling logic for, a more vibrant and
effective process of constructive regional cooperation. They
emphasized their commitment to making such cooperation an enduring
feature and thus contribute to the regions peace, progress and
stability.
- The Heads of State or Government noted that SAARC has evolved in
a positive direction during the first two decades of its existence
and that its agenda encompassed concerns and areas vital for the
fulfillment of the Charter objectives of promoting the welfare of
the peoples of South Asia, accelerating economic growth, social
progress, cultural development and strengthening collective
self-reliance among the countries of South Asia. They stressed that
realization of these objectives not only called for continued and
serious result-oriented efforts but also for consistent endeavours
to translate pledges and commitments into concrete actions, regional
initiatives and projects. They reiterated their commitment to making
SAARC an effective instrument for cooperation, which will visibly
improve the quality of life of millions in South Asia.
- The Heads of State or Government emphasized that efforts must
continue to free South Asia from poverty, hunger and other forms of
deprivation and social injustice which present a daunting challenge.
Member States expressed determination to work towards significantly
accelerating regional cooperation in economic areas. The main
emphasis will be to secure a wider economic space, so that benefits
and opportunities offered therein can be shared by all, and that the
true economic potential of South Asia can be fully realized. Efforts
will be made to create dynamic complementarities in the development
of human resources and capacity of Member States to address their
common challenges. They underlined the need to accelerate regional
cooperation through all possible means and mechanisms, including
exchange of best practices in various fields in the Member States.
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated that the peoples of
South Asia are the real source of strength and driving force for
SAARC and resolved to make regional cooperation more responsive to
their hopes and aspirations. They agreed that the Association should
broaden its engagement with the civil society organizations,
professional groups, and entrepreneurs. Member States should also
strive to promote and assert their South Asian identity, encourage
greater people-to-people contact and draw strength from their shared
cultural heritage.
- The Heads of State or Government emphasized the importance of
initiating project cooperation under the SAARC auspices. They
encouraged Member States to undertake projects, as per existing
provisions of the Charter. These projects may pertain to economic
and social sectors, including Human Resource Development and Poverty
Alleviation. These may be undertaken, where required, with financial
or technical assistance, from International Financial Institutions
(IFIs) or, UN Funds and Programmes or, any extra-regional State, as
appropriate.
Poverty Alleviation
- The Heads of State or Government decided to declare the decade of
2006-2015 as the SAARC Decade of Poverty Alleviation. During the
Decade, endeavours - both at the national and regional level - will
continue to be made with a sense of commitment and urgency to free
South Asia from poverty.
- The Heads of State or Government appreciated the valuable work of
the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation
(ISACPA). They also endorsed the SAARC Development Goals (SDGs), as
recommended by the Commission, and called for follow-up and
implementation of the Plan of Action on Poverty Alleviation, adopted
by the 12th SAARC Summit. They entrusted the ISACPA to continue its
advisory and advocacy role in this regard. They endorsed the
priorities for action identified in the Report of ISACPA adopted by
the Twelfth SAARC Summit. They agreed that these priorities would be
duly taken into account while working out the elements for regional
initiatives in this vital area. They decided to focus on formulation
and implementation of concrete regional programmes and projects as
well as forging partnerships among all stakeholders.
- Underlining the need for an exclusive forum for focused and
comprehensive examination of poverty related issues, the Heads of
State / Government decided to replace the three-tier mechanism on
poverty alleviation by a two-tier one, comprising the Ministers and
the Secretaries dealing with Poverty Alleviation at the national
level.
Funding Mechanisms
- . The Heads of State or Government decided to establish a SAARC
Poverty Alleviation Fund (SPAF) with contributions both voluntary
and/or, assessed, as may be agreed. They called upon the Finance
Ministers to formulate recommendations on the operational modalities
of the Fund, taking into consideration the outcome of the Meeting of
the Financial Experts. In this regard, they welcomed the offer of
Pakistan to host the next meeting of the Finance Ministers. The
operational modalities of the SPAF shall be decided by the Finance/
Planning Ministers. They agreed that the SPAF shall function within
the SADF to be reconstituted, as SAARC Development Fund (SDF), to
serve as the umbrella financial institution for all SAARC projects
and programmes and comprise three Windows namely Social Window,
Infrastructure Window and Economic Window with a Permanent
Secretariat.
- The Heads of State or Government decided that Finance Ministers
should meet within the first quarter after every Summit and also on
the sidelines of the World Bank and ADB annual meetings, to take
stock of macro-economic developments and outlook for South Asia,
achievement of SAARC Development Goals as co-related to Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and to assess the investment climate,
foreign capital inflows, financial sector reforms and other areas of
cooperation.
Advancing Economic Cooperation
- The Heads of State or Government stressed that accelerating
cooperation in the core economic areas was of vital importance for
the realization of Charter objectives and also for making South Asia
truly vibrant, dynamic and secure in its robust progress. They
reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate cooperation in the
economic and commercial fields, especially in the energy sector.
They noted the progress in the negotiations on outstanding issues
and directed early finalization of all the Annexes ensuring entry
into force of the SAFTA Agreement as agreed, with effect from 1
January 2006.
- The Heads of State or Government stressed the importance of the
entry into force of the SAFTA Agreement on the scheduled date i.e. 1
January 2006. The launching of SAFTA would mark an important
milestone on the road to a South Asian Economic Union. They directed
that the negotiations on the outstanding issues under the Agreement
should be completed by end November 2005. They further directed that
the necessary national procedures should be completed in time to
facilitate the operationalisation of the Agreement.
- They reiterated the need to strengthen transportation and
communication links across the region for accelerated and balanced
economic growth. They directed further measures aimed at trade
liberalisation, as provided for in the SAFTA Agreement. They noted
with satisfaction the ongoing SAARC Regional Multimodal Transport
Study to enhance transport connectivity among the Member States. The
Heads of State or Government agreed to undertake trade facilitation
measures, including transit among SAARC countries, on the basis of
understanding among concerned countries, for enhancing
intra-regional trade and other economic activities. They noted the
Indian proposal in this regard. They agreed to study the proposal by
India for daily air service facility by designated airlines, on a
reciprocal basis and without prejudice to existing rights, to all
the SAARC Member States and also the proposal to extend fifth
freedom rights to designated airlines from the Member States, both
intermediate and beyond, within the SAARC region on a reciprocal
basis.
- The Heads of State or Government recognized the need to take the
process of regional economic integration further by expanding the
scope of SAFTA to include trade in services, enhanced investment and
harmonized standards.
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the signing of the
following Agreements during the thirteenth SAARC Summit:
- The Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs
Matters
- The Agreement on the Establishment of SAARC Arbitration
Council
- The Limited Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and
Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters
- They emphasized the need for parallel initiatives for dismantling
of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers. In this context, they called
for expeditious action on conclusion of agreements on mutual
recognition of standards, testing and measurements with a view to
facilitating intra-regional trade. They recognized the potential of
trade in services which have expanded rapidly at the informal level.
They called for a study to see how services could be integrated into
the SAFTA process.
- The Heads of State or Government decided to encourage, where
appropriate, trade-creating investment in the Member States. They
stressed the need for closer regional cooperation in the field of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), including
Tele-communications.
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the Joint Statement of
the First SAARC Energy Ministers meeting in October 2005 in
Islamabad. They agreed to the recommendation to establish the SAARC
Energy Centre in Islamabad; to promote development of energy
resources, including hydropower; and energy trade in the region; to
develop renewable and alternative energy resources; and promote
energy efficiency and conservation in the region. They underlined
the need to constitute a South Asian Energy Dialogue process,
involving officials, experts, academics, environmentalists and NGOs,
to recommend measures to tap potentials of cooperation in energy
sector to provide inputs to the Working Group on Energy.
- The Heads of State or Government noted the proposal for the
establishment of a Regional Food Bank proposed by India and agreed
to examine the proposal.
- With regard to paragraph 15 of the Council of Ministers Report,
the Heads of State or Government noted the offer of Nepal to host
the Regional Support Unit.
South Asias Social Challenges
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated their commitment to
take initiatives at national as well as regional levels for
achieving the specific objectives contained in the SAARC Social
Charter. They recognized that realization of these objectives is
crucial to enable SAARC to meet the hopes and aspirations of the
common peoples of South Asia and visibly improve the quality of
their lives. They emphasized that in outlining future actions in
this regard national implementation efforts should be complemented
by regional programmes and projects in areas requiring collective
regional response. They appreciated the establishment of National
Coordination Committees (NCCs) in all Member States, decided on
annual meetings of the Heads of NCCs and directed convening of their
first meeting at the earliest for follow-up and implementation of
the Social Charter. In this regard, they noted the proposal from the
Maldives to convene an experts' group meeting on establishing a
Civil Society Resource Centre.
- The Heads of State or Government called upon the Member States
to expeditiously complete the process of preparing their national
strategy and plan of action. They also emphasized that national
implementation efforts should be complemented by regional projects
and programmes. In this context, they directed that regional
projects, particularly in health and poverty alleviation, should be
initiated.
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated their pledge to
continue to work in the next decade and beyond to address the
formidable challenges faced by women and children, especially the
girl child. They noted that sustained efforts were needed on the
part of the Member States not only to free them from all types of
deprivation but also to make them full partners and beneficiaries of
South Asian progress and development. In this context, they decided
that a mid-term review of the progress in realizing the objectives
of SAARC Decade on the Rights of the Child (2001 2010) should be
undertaken in 2006.
- The Heads of State or Government affirmed their strong resolve
to continue to work together to address the problem posed by
trafficking in women and children. They expressed satisfaction at
the ratification of the SAARC Conventions relating to Trafficking in
Women and Children and Promotion of Child Welfare by all Member
States and called for effective measures for their early
implementation. They noted that the civil society organizations and
the media have an important role to play in raising awareness of the
degrading and inhuman treatment faced by the victims of trafficking.
They encouraged them to continue their constructive role in this
regard. They stressed that law enforcement agencies in the Member
States should also coordinate and strengthen their efforts to
address this problem effectively.
- The Heads of State or Government noted the achievements of the
Member States during recent years in the area of primary education
through sustained efforts and adoption of country specific
innovative approaches. They recognized that regional initiatives in
this particular area might focus on sharing of experiences and best
practices. They also called for optimal utilization of resources and
identification of strategic interventions in the area of training,
management and performance evaluation of these programmes so as to
ensure sustainability, coverage and quality of education imparted
and services provided. They stressed that freeing South Asia from
the scourge of illiteracy is a major objective of SAARC in the third
decade of its activities. They called for effective measures to
realize the SDGs, in particular universal primary education in the
context of pursuing the Millennium Development Goals.
- The Heads of State or Government stressed that to meet the
challenges of the twenty-first century Member States must make
important strides in the areas of science, technology and higher
education. They decided to give priority attention to encourage
regional cooperation in these areas to derive benefits from the
synergy of collective, well-planned and focused initiatives
undertaken by Member States. They directed that a SAARC Plan of
Action for Science, ICT and Technology be elaborated for
consideration during a Meeting of SAARC Science, ICT and Technology
Ministers to be convened as soon as possible. They noted the offer
of India to establish a South Asian University and agreed to examine
this matter further.
- The Heads of State or Government recognized the need to
collaborate on preparedness for addressing health emergencies,
including prevention and control of pandemics like avian influenza,
as these pose a major global threat with impact on health, trade and
tourism involving human mobility. They emphasized on the need to
develop a regional strategy for such emergencies as soon as
possible; and identify and strengthen collaboration within and
beyond the region and establish links with other regional
organizations. They called for early establishment of a SAARC Health
Surveillance Centre and a Rapid Deployment Health Response System,
to deal with emerging and re-emerging diseases.
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the preparation of a
strategy for collective SAARC response to prevent the spread of
HIV/AIDS. They noted that regional response in this regard should be
further enhanced to eliminate this dreadful disease from South Asia.
In this regard, they emphasized the importance of early
implementation of the Regional Strategy of HIV/AIDS. At the same
time, they underscored the need for increasing cooperation to
develop regional strategies for the prevention and treatment of
Dengue, Malaria and other infectious or communicable diseases
constituting major public health concerns.
- The Heads of State or Government agreed to launch a regional
initiative with regard to basic healthcare services and sanitation
in the rural areas and encouraged exchange of experience and best
practices within the region. They called for expediting elaboration
of a SAARC Plan of Action for cooperation in medical expertise and
pharmaceuticals, as well as traditional medicine, and availing
affordable pharmaceuticals produced in the region, harmonization of
standards and certification procedures and production of affordable
medicines. They also agreed that steps should be taken to promote
traditional medicine and to protect the intellectual property rights
related to them as a matter of regional priority.
South Asias Environmental Challenges and Natural Disasters
- They further decided to consider the modalities for having a
Regional Environment Treaty in furthering environmental cooperation
among the SAARC Member States. They expressed deep concern at the
continuing degradation of environment and reaffirmed the importance
of concerted action in the protection and preservation of
environment. While expressing satisfaction at the progress in
implementation of the SAARC Environment Action Plan, the Leaders
welcomed the decision of the Council of Ministers to establish a
SAARC Forestry Centre in Bhutan. They emphasized on the need for the
Centre to have a coordinating role in the field of Forestry for
exchange of information, expertise, training and formulation of
regional projects with emphasis on social forestry
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the Declaration of the
Special Session of the SAARC Environment Ministers in Male in June
2005 convened in the wake of the tsunami catastrophe. They endorsed
the recommendation for elaboration of regional programmes and
projects for early warning, preparedness and management of tsunami
and other natural disasters. They called for elaboration of a
Comprehensive Framework on Early Warning and Disaster Management.
- They endorsed the decision of the Special Session of the SAARC
Environment Ministers to further enhance the capacity of the
existing SAARC Institutions namely, SAARC Meteorological Research
Centre and SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre, to carry out their
mandated tasks.
- In view of the extensive loss of life and colossal damage to
property as a result of earthquake and tsunami and other natural
disasters in South Asia, the Heads of State or Government
underscored the urgency to put in place a permanent regional
response mechanism dedicated to disaster preparedness, emergency
relief and rehabilitation to ensure immediate response. They
directed the concerned national authorities to coordinate their
activities in such areas of disaster management as early warning,
exchange of information, training and sharing of experiences and
best practices in emergency relief efforts.
- The Heads of State or Government underlined the need for
collaborative action in the area of environment, including water
conservation, to promote sustainable development. They decided to
proclaim the Year 2007 as the Year of Green South Asia devoted to
a region-wide aforestation campaign. They also agreed to address the
problem of arsenic contamination of groundwater and assistance to
affected peoples.
Combating Terrorism
- The Heads of State or Government agreed that terrorism violates
the fundamental values of the SAARC Charter and the United Nations,
and constitutes one of the most critical threats to international
peace and security. The Heads of State or Government expressed their
satisfaction at the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the
SAARC Convention on Suppression of Terrorism by all Member States
and called for putting in place effective mechanisms for its
implementation. They strongly condemned terrorist violence in all
its forms and manifestations, agreed that terrorism is a challenge
to all States and a threat to all of humanity, and cannot be
justified on any grounds. They underlined that there should be no
double standards in the fight against terrorism. In view of the
continuing and recent terrorist attacks in the region and their
impact on security, economic stability and social development, they
expressed their determination to unite in their efforts in
preventing and combating terrorism. They also noted the United
Nations Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) in this regard.
- They called for early and effective implementation of the
Additional Protocol to the SAARC Convention on Suppression of
Terrorism. They underscored the need for an early conclusion of a
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. They also
agreed that Member States would strengthen their cooperation in such
important areas as exchange of information, coordination and
cooperation among their relevant agencies.
- They decided that SAARC Interior/Home Ministers would meet
annually preceded by a meeting of the Interior/Home Secretaries.
- The Heads of State or Government directed that concrete measures
be taken to enforce the provisions of the Regional Convention on
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances through an appropriate
regional mechanism.
Security of small states
- The Heads of State or Government noted that due to their
specific vulnerabilities, small states require special measures for
support from all concerned for safeguarding their sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity. In this context, they
stressed that protection of small states should be firmly rooted in
scrupulous adherence to the UN Charter, rule of law and the strict
adherence to universally accepted principles and norms related to
sovereign rights and territorial integrity of all States,
irrespective of their size. They committed themselves to give
concrete expression to protect the interest and security of all
small states through the pursuit of appropriate policies and
actions.
People-to-people contact and cultural cooperation
- The Heads of State or Government noted that the spirit of SAARC
needed to be sustained by efforts to promote people-to-people
contact and by a vibrant civil society throughout South Asia
actively engaged in forging links across national boundaries. They
felt that the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians
should meet at an early date to establish a mechanism for periodic
contacts among the Parliamentarians of South Asia. They stressed
that continued efforts would be made by the Member States at all
levels to promote people-to-people contact by facilitating travel
among SAARC countries, promotion of youth exchanges in culture and
sports, promotion of intra-SAARC tourism, establishment of linkages
among professional bodies and through adoption of other concrete
measures. They decided to launch 2006 as South Asia Tourism Year."
They directed their Ministers for Tourism to meet at an early date
and elaborate a plan of activities to be undertaken during the year
2006. They also stated that Member States would encourage
initiatives by private sector entities in promoting understanding
and harmony in the region.
- . The Heads of State or Government recognized the crucial role of
culture in bringing the peoples of South Asia closer. They also
stressed that cooperation in the area of culture was vital for
reinforcing and projecting the distinct identity of South Asia. In
this context, they expressed satisfaction on the progress made in
establishing the SAARC Cultural Centre in Kandy and underlined the
importance of making it operational at the earliest. They also
directed the SAARC Ministers of Culture to meet as soon as possible
to elaborate a SAARC Agenda for Culture. They noted the offer of
India to establish a SAARC Museum of Textiles and Handicrafts inter
alia to preserve designs in various crafts and related traditions,
train artisans and crafts persons, foster design skills, hold
promotional events, undertake research.
International political and economic environment
- The Heads of State or Government reviewed international
political and economic developments since their last Summit in
Islamabad. They underscored the imperative need to ensure universal
adherence to the principles and objectives enshrined in the UN
Charter. They called upon the international community to redouble
efforts to meet the commitments of the Millennium Summit and the
Monterrey consensus. They noted the outcome of the UN World Summit
2005 and underlined the need for meaningful reforms of the United
Nations system in consonance with its role as the central organ for
the cooperative management of the global problems and for the
promotion of peace, security, development, justice and human rights.
They also reiterated their full support for a comprehensive
approach, which would facilitate implementation of the Millennium
Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in a time
bound manner.
- The Heads of State or Government stressed that promotion of
global peace and security inter alia called for removing the
existing asymmetries in security and in ensuring undiminished
security for all, at the regional and global levels. They also
emphasized the importance of pursuing effectively the global
objectives of universal disarmament and preventing the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction.
- The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment to
further strengthen the multilateral trade regime of WTO. They called
upon all WTO members to demonstrate necessary understanding and
accommodation for a breakthrough at the Hong Kong Ministerial
meeting in December 2005 to pave the way for the successful
conclusion of the Doha Development Round. They underscored that the
development dimension should continue to be at the heart of the
on-going negotiations so that the legitimate concerns of the
developing countries are adequately reflected in the outcome of the
current round of trade negotiations. They agreed that the SAARC
Member States would work closely together to coordinate their
positions in the on-going negotiations on trade and other key
economic issues. The Heads of State or Government directed the
Commerce Ministers to hold consultations on the sidelines of the 6th
WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Hong Kong in December 2005,
to evolve a common SAARC Position on issues of common concern.
- The Heads of State or Government addressed the question of
electing the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the year
2006, being aware of the unanimous view that the well-established
principle of geographical rotation should be observed and that an
Asian should be appointed as the next Secretary-General of the
United Nations. In this regard, they noted that Sri Lanka has
offered a candidate.
Enhancing Political Cooperation
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the growing importance
being placed by all Member States to promote cooperation in an
environment of enduring peace and stability in South Asia. They
reiterated their commitment to the principles of sovereign equality,
territorial integrity and national independence, non-use of force,
non-intervention, and non-interference in the internal affairs of
other Member States. Recognizing the increasing interdependence and
the imperative of pursuing the objectives of peace, freedom, social
justice and economic prosperity, they re-affirmed their resolve to
foster mutual understanding, good neighbourly relations and a more
meaningful cooperation through sustained constructive engagement
among Member States.
External Profile and Linkages of SAARC
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the observer status
granted to SAARC by the United Nations General Assembly at its
Fifty-ninth Session; and expressed the hope that this would not only
enhance the profile of SAARC in the world body but would also enable
Member States to project common positions of SAARC in various
multilateral forums. They also acknowledged the renewed interest of
other regional and international organizations, bodies and entities
to cooperate with SAARC in various collaborative endeavours in
accordance with the objectives and priorities of SAARC. The Heads of
State or Government welcomed the request by the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan for membership and invited Afghanistan as a member,
subject to the completion of formalities. They also welcomed and
agreed in principle with the desire of the Peoples Republic of
China and Japan to be associated as observers. The Council of
Ministers will decide the modalities in this regard at their
twenty-seventh meeting in July 2006.
Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms of SAARC
- The Heads of State or Government agreed that with the
incremental broadening of the SAARC agenda and increased emphasis
being placed on implementation of plans and programmes, there was a
need for a commensurate strengthening of institutional capabilities
of SAARC. Recognizing the importance of thematic Ministerial
meetings, they emphasized that these meetings should focus on
regional challenges and priorities and contribute to the realization
of the objectives of SAARC. They agreed that on completion of twenty
years of SAARC's existence, it was essential that a comprehensive
review and reform of all SAARC institutions and mechanisms,
including the Secretariat and the Regional Centers should be
undertaken. In this context, they called on the Council of Ministers
to convene a Meeting of Experts, to be nominated by each Member
State, to undertake a detailed Study and present a report to the
next Council of Ministers. They empowered the current Chairman of
the Council of Ministers to prepare within the next fifteen days a
draft Terms of Reference for the Study to be approved, if necessary,
by tele-conferencing of all SAARC Foreign Ministers.
SAARC Vision: An agenda for Third Decade of SAARC
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated their commitment to
the realisation of the vision of South Asian Economic Union in a
phased and planned manner. They agreed that as SAARC completed its
twenty years of its existence, it was an opportune occasion to draw
a roadmap for regional cooperation in South Asia for the next
decade. In view of the new challenges facing the region, pledges and
commitments made in the last two decades should be translated into
concrete actions in the form of regional projects and programmes and
innovative initiatives.
52. They directed all SAARC institutions and mechanisms to work
collectively towards a decade dedicated to implementation so that a
visible and discernible impact can be felt across South Asia. They
emphasized that while this would enable SAARC to realize its basic
objectives of improving the quality of life of all South Asian
peoples, it would at the same time create an enabling environment
towards the establishment of a South Asian Economic Union. They
directed the Standing Committee to formulate its recommendations, at
its next Special Session, on a Vision for SAARCs Third Decade and
the course of action for its realization, to be elaborated by a
high-level Committee of Senior Officials.
Date and venue of the Fourteenth SAARC Summit
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the offer of the
Government of India to host the Fourteenth SAARC Summit in 2007.
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