New Delhi: India wants to strengthen regional cooperation but one nation has a particular way of doing things, which is stalling South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing.
On being asked about the revival of SAARC, Jaiswal said, “We attach deep importance to regional cooperation, to regional connectivity. Therefore, we have given impetus to BIMSTEC. On SAARC, as you know, we want to strengthen regional cooperation but you are well aware of the reason as to why this particular cooperation in that format is not moving forward.”
“One particular country has a particular way of doing things which is stalling SAARC. But, as far as regional cooperation is concerned, we attach deep importance to it. You would have seen our approach in it through BIMSTEC and other platforms that we have,” he added.
Notably, the SAARC is the regional intergovernmental organisation of eight countries of South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Earlier in 2023, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, said that India cannot have SAARC meetings until one member continues to engage in acts of terrorism, adding that India will not tolerate a situation where “terrorism happens by night and trade happens by day.”
While responding to the question about not hearing anything on SAARC, Jaishankar at India International Centre said, “You have not heard very much about SAARC because, in the last few years, there isn’t very much to hear about. We have not had meetings because you have a member of SAARC who doesn’t conform to all the basic requirements of what a good membership is, and that is today an obstacle reality for the SAARC to meet. You know I said we cannot continue with acts of terrorism and say the cooperation will continue to happen nevertheless.”
“So, I think there are issues there and it’s time to recognise the seriousness of those issues and not allow terrorism to happen by night and trade by day. I don’t think the country is well served by that,” he added.
Earlier also, Jaishankar had blamed Pakistan for SAARC not being an active organisation. In December 2022, Jaishankar in Varanasi said that the SAARC currently is not active because one member of the SAARC believes that dealing with “neighbours is compatible with the factors of cross-border terrorism.”
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