SAARC will not revive through speeches |
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizze recently signalled Male’s readiness to help revive SAARC by facilitating the resumption of its meetings. Within weeks, India’s foreign minister answered. He said the reasons behind SAARC’s continued paralysis are well known and pointedly held one member state responsible for the impasse.
This exchange captures the central dilemma facing SAARC. Although its members express support for reviving the organization, one member repeatedly maintains that conditions are not conducive to resuming engagement.
Dhaka has emerged as one of the advocates for SAARC’s revival. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has framed revival as Bangladesh natural responsibility as SAARC’s initiator , while former chief adviser Muhammad Yunus continued to argue that its spirit remains alive, while Dhaka’s top leadership has called for renewal , institutional reforms and political commitment. A Bangladeshi roadmap in July stressed the need for political goodwill. Dhaka’s message is straightforward : BIMSTEC can complement SAARC, but it cannot replace the only South Asian forum where all states sit at the same table. Yet, there is growing disconnect between diplomatic enthusiasm and political action.
Regional leaders appear willing to endorse cooperation in principle, but remains largely absent from the negotiating table. The central issue is difficult to overlook. In 2016, the 19th Summit was suspended due to IndiaPakistan tensions. Till now, New Delhi’s position has remained consistent toward renewal of bilateral relations.
External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar highlighted only one member in his conversation as responsible for the impasse.........