Issues before 18th SAARC Summit & Outcome - Nov 2014

21 November 2014 (All India Radio News Analysis)

Sheelkanth Sharma, Former Secy. Gen, SAARC, and Soni Mishra, Journalist

GIST:

18^th SAARC Summit @ Kathmandu – November 2014 – Theme of the Summit: Deeper integration to the creation of Peace, Progress & Prosperity; Expectation of the Summit?

Climate of Inter-dependence - Support from Neighbors – essential for a Nation to flourish; since 2002, Last SAARC Summit – Peace, primary requisite of the Region;

Indian Cabinet approved for the signing of 3 Agreements – Energy Cooperation, Motor Vehicle Agreement (Movement of People & Goods), and Rail Connection – how far it would bring deeper integration?

Connectivity – hassle free transportation – frame work Agreement – followed by bilateral cooperation; Energy Cooperation – Pak, Bang, India – Different Time Zone; Srilanka & India, Nuke Power plant; Power from Nepal & Bhutan – HEP potential;

Role of Indian PM at SAARC Summit – Vision for SAARC?

High priority Building good relation with the Neighbors; Visit to Neighboring country; Man of Action – Dynamism – Positivity - No Iota of Negativity in PM’s Statement in last 6 months; Good Omen to all of this Region;

Possibility Bilateral Meeting between India & Pakistan?  Last minute cancelation of meet earlier in this year;

Nurture the Hope, Messages from India have been for working out a dialogue & same time insistence – dialogue cannot proceed under firing;

1995 – Inception of SAARC – India & Pak relations overshadowed –

Expected bilateral meet between India & Afghanistan? In reconstruction of Afghan in Post 2014 / Post NATO?

Afghan requires National Building – power, hospital … demand Indian contribution;

30^th year of SAARC – criticized to be meet Talk-Shop – amending SAARC charter – forming deeper integrations like EU or ASEAN?

We probably began centrifugally – bringing them together – different qualitatively.

Achievement of SAARC – Services Agreement, Banks, South Asia University, SAARC Development Goals (SDG), Line ministers meet every year;

Outcome of SAARC Summit

27 November 2014

Participant Prof. S T Muni, Former Diplomat and Mahendra Ved, Journalist

GIST:

India proposed 3 Agreement – apparent reservation for Pakistan;

Critical Agreement: Road, Rail, Energy; Connectivity facilitate Trade, Tourism, People to People Exchanges; 

Indian Nepal already working Road Connectivity; Afghan should proceed though Pak ignore;

Pakistan import Oil & Gas from Central Asia; India gets Electricity form Bhutan; Pak & Nepal Import Electricity from India;

India’s offer to Nepal: Immediate Medical VISA, E Connectivity (E Library & Online courses), SAARC business Travel card, India to bridge Fund Shortage, SAARC regional Super Reference Library… Statesman like Address – Modi vision of Barrier free South Asia;

Open Indian to the Neighbors – in matter of Trade, VISA, Investment, Infrastructure, Education, Health Services, Satelliete (SAARC Sat) – come together – progress together; hum pass pass bhi hain, lekin saath saath bhi ho (The need of the hour is that we don't just remain near each other, but be together as well); Geographically close together, making it close together socially, culturally, Economically;

Issue of Trade – only 5% within the region formally; Informal Trade expands – troubling the region – reason lies in Lack of Connectivity- make the product costlier; with this Umbrella agreement – different Stakeholder – ground work – to complete it;

China Factor in SAARC – promised $30Bn for Infra Projects – wanted Trade to reach $150Bn; - creation of new apprehension?

 Market capability of the Region – 1.6 Bn people grows at the rate of 5%- Huge Market – no country in the world can neglect this region; Economic muscle of China – before making china full member of SAARC – with Veto power – china may create trouble in development process- it’s behavior in other regional forum should be verified;

India –Nepal: 10 Agreements – trust deficit & reservation – bridged;

India – Bangladesh: Pending Agreement; India- Srilanka: Amendment & Provincial Autonomy;

Region without Dispute: Sharif, and Cooperation with in the Region: Modi (fighting poverty & Malnutrition, together);