The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, begin their two-day meeting in Kathmandu on today. The ratification of the SAARC-related agreements on railway connections and movement of motor vehicles by the Cabinet is a clear indication of the government’s positive attitude. The expectations are high. The meeting of leaders of an organisation, which has been dormant for a while, is expected to yield results that will contribute to the “shared prosperity in the region”. Tempering such hope is the fact that bilateral issues have earlier overshadowed the substance of collective decisions made at such conferences, and domestic concerns that can dictate their own agenda.
SAARC was formed with the objective of helping this region achieve its economic potential while improving the life of the people and helping in their welfare. Much of this can be achieved by improving the intra-regional trade for which infrastructure — both physical and financial — is needed. The progress of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) has been slow and till now the figures for the intra-regional trade and foreign investments have been rather low. Prime Minister Modi is expected to address this issue at Kathmandu. With the cooperation of other heads of the state, this intervention may well pave the way for more dynamic relations. The implementation of the proposal for the free movement of traffic between countries will give a fillip to both trade and tourism.
SAARC has the potential to be a powerful geo-political force. However, the member countries have to rise above the bilateral conflicts they may have so that they can collaborate at the regional level. This is better said than done. The spotty record in combating cross-border terrorist activities in spite of the Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism is an indicator of the kind of difficulties that lie ahead. Nevertheless, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have to work together to achieve for their citizens the kind of prosperity that the promise of SAARC holds.