7.10. Deadlock at SAARC: Options for Regional Cooperation in South Asia

India’s decision to skip the South Asian summit in Islamabad in November 2016 was, in essence, about the deteriorating relationship with Pakistan. However, it also underlined the growing irrelevance of the SAARC for India’s regionalism. In this context search for alternatives to SAARC has acquired a new momentum. In this context SAARC minus one formulation refers to moving ahead in regional cooperation without Pakistan. examples are:

♤ The BBIN framework: A formulation involving sub-regional cooperation on connectivity, trade and energy, people to people ties between Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The BBIN, however, was very much part of the SAARC framework. The SAARC charter allows two or more countries of the forum to embark on what is called ‘sub-regional cooperation’.

♤ The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program of Asian Development Bank: this brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in a project-based partnership that aims to promote regional prosperity, improve economic opportunities, and build a better quality of life for the people of the subregion. In 2016, the SASEC countries approved the SASEC Operational Plan 2016- 2025, a 10-year strategic roadmap, which introduced Economic Corridor Development as a sectoral area of focus. Since 2001, SASEC countries have implemented 49 regional projects worth over $10.74 billion in the energy, economic corridor development, transport, trade facilitation, and information and communications technology sectors.