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Regional integration pegged to SAARC revival’
Why is it in news?
- Successful regional integration both economic and security depends on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) becoming fully functional at the highest levels, Sri Lanka’s former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday.
More in news
- Kathmandu Summit 2017: Mr. Wickremesinghe said the postponement of the Kathmandu SAARC Summit in 2017 due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan had brought the regional grouping “to a standstill”.
- Creating a sub-region: Proposing an ‘Economic Integration Road Map (EIRM)’, Mr. Wickremesinghe said it was important to conceptualise a “sub-region”, consisting of the five southern States of India, and Sri Lanka, to tap the total population of 300 million people and a combined GDP of over $500 billion.
- More about SAARC
(1) The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
(2) Members- SAARC comprises of eight member States:
(a) Afghanistan
(b) Bangladesh
(c) Bhutan
(d) India
(e) Maldives
(f) Nepal
(g) Pakistan
(h) Sri Lanka
(3) Headquarters and Secretariat- Kathmandu, Nepal.
Source
The Hindu