Publication

This brief takes stock of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and how India’s bilateral relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have affected the organization. Among other points raised, the text’s authors contend that political mistrust within the Association remains high, and thus inspires shortsighted economic policies and disjointed coordination efforts. However, India’s relations with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are improving and therefore might create a window of opportunity for SAARC to fulfill some of its goals, despite the enduring India–Pakistan rift.