Even before the two-day SAARC Finance Ministers Conference started in Islamabad, it faced the brunt of recent bilateral tensions between India and Pakistan. Downplaying the importance of this moot, India refused to send Finance Minister Arun Jaitely and was instead represented by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa.
Besides India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives also chose to send their deputy ministers or bureaucrats to the event. Such lack of enthusiasm and seriousness toward a forum that was aimed at discussing cooperation in different sectors of economy, South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and trade promotion poses a real question mark over the effectiveness of SAARC as a regional body.
Being the host, Pakistan has claimed that “India’s (finance minister’s) absence hardly matters,” but the reality is that there is a clear need to revitalize SAARC to enhance trade, security, development and bilateral relations among all member states. The finance ministers’ meeting was expected to set the tone for SAARC heads of the state summit in November. With such poor preparatory arrangements, it is an easy guess that the upcoming meeting would be just as futile and once again expose SAARC as only a “talk shop.”
The success of SAARC largely depends on the intentions and actions of India. Unlike the EU, the SAARC is made up of countries with high level of inequalities and different political systems. India’s sheer size, population and economic status gives it the muscle power to dominate all other member states.
Even on this occasion, India has managed to influence most regional states and tried to isolate Pakistan by not sending a high-level delegation to the finance minsters’ conference. Political observers also point out that the Indian move could be aimed at diverting attention away from the current uprising in the Indian-administred Kashmir and Pakistan’s efforts to normalize ties between the two countries. India’s historic rivalry with Pakistan, and even other smaller members, has gridlocked the SAARC.
These regional conflicts have polarized the region and created a deep level of mistrust that has become seemingly unmanageable even through confidence-building measures.
Further, the SAARC should be mindful of its social charter that commits to a reduction in poverty, illiteracy, hunger and malnourishment in the heavily populous South Asia. The charter also aims at encouraging partnerships in economic, technical and scientific fields to increase the region’s productivity and people-to-people contact.
The organization has signed numerous agreements for greater cooperation in socioeconomic welfare sectors, but these remain yet to be implemented. Any improvement in quality of life in South Asia would not be possible without accelerating regional economic growth and establishing mutual trust among the member states. The trust deficit can only be overcome through sincere and sustained efforts to resolve all outstanding political and territorial differences. The people of South Asia wish for peace and progress, but SAARC members must show political will to resolve their disputes.
Before promising any new major initiatives, all members must realize their interdependence and collaborate to take concrete steps to achieve peace and development in the region. All this is only possible if these states adopt a broader approach to regional issues rather than having a myopic outlook solely based on short-term national interests.
Besides India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives also chose to send their deputy ministers or bureaucrats to the event. Such lack of enthusiasm and seriousness toward a forum that was aimed at discussing cooperation in different sectors of economy, South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and trade promotion poses a real question mark over the effectiveness of SAARC as a regional body.
Being the host, Pakistan has claimed that “India’s (finance minister’s) absence hardly matters,” but the reality is that there is a clear need to revitalize SAARC to enhance trade, security, development and bilateral relations among all member states. The finance ministers’ meeting was expected to set the tone for SAARC heads of the state summit in November. With such poor preparatory arrangements, it is an easy guess that the upcoming meeting would be just as futile and once again expose SAARC as only a “talk shop.”
The success of SAARC largely depends on the intentions and actions of India. Unlike the EU, the SAARC is made up of countries with high level of inequalities and different political systems. India’s sheer size, population and economic status gives it the muscle power to dominate all other member states.
Even on this occasion, India has managed to influence most regional states and tried to isolate Pakistan by not sending a high-level delegation to the finance minsters’ conference. Political observers also point out that the Indian move could be aimed at diverting attention away from the current uprising in the Indian-administred Kashmir and Pakistan’s efforts to normalize ties between the two countries. India’s historic rivalry with Pakistan, and even other smaller members, has gridlocked the SAARC.
These regional conflicts have polarized the region and created a deep level of mistrust that has become seemingly unmanageable even through confidence-building measures.
Further, the SAARC should be mindful of its social charter that commits to a reduction in poverty, illiteracy, hunger and malnourishment in the heavily populous South Asia. The charter also aims at encouraging partnerships in economic, technical and scientific fields to increase the region’s productivity and people-to-people contact.
The organization has signed numerous agreements for greater cooperation in socioeconomic welfare sectors, but these remain yet to be implemented. Any improvement in quality of life in South Asia would not be possible without accelerating regional economic growth and establishing mutual trust among the member states. The trust deficit can only be overcome through sincere and sustained efforts to resolve all outstanding political and territorial differences. The people of South Asia wish for peace and progress, but SAARC members must show political will to resolve their disputes.
Before promising any new major initiatives, all members must realize their interdependence and collaborate to take concrete steps to achieve peace and development in the region. All this is only possible if these states adopt a broader approach to regional issues rather than having a myopic outlook solely based on short-term national interests.
