Political Economy of Regional Cooperation in South Asia

Abstract

The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) is considered one of the major diplomatic breakthroughs in the South Asian region in its modern history. Theoretically, SAARC has a high potential for cooperation because of the common features and challenges faced by its member states. Despite all these common features, conventional wisdom in this regard is that SAARC is 'the most divided region' in the world. This study explores the degree of integration that SAARC has already achieved during past 30 years. Using statistical data, descriptive evidence, and literature, it is observed that most of the objectives of SAARC are still far from reaching a reality. There is evidence that the foreign policy of powerful SAARC members goes against the SAARC objectives.