India’s rise will bring development to SAARC region, says Pakistan envoy
Thursday, 2 April 2015 00:04
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Reuters: Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit said on Monday (30) India’s economic growth will help the entire SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) region.
Speaking at an interactive session of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in New Delhi, Basit sought economic intra-regional integration of the SAARC nations.
“We in South Asia do believe that India does have the wherewithal and resolve to step to the plate and ensure that it achieves its economic goals because if India rises, we are confident that the entire region will rise with India,” said Basit.
Basit also stressed that economic development should not get subdued in the political noise.
“In the context of our region, where politics often drums economics, so in order to get out of this we need to be more realistic in our perspectives. Because without promoting regional-integration, economic-integration, one doesn’t know as to how one would become part of the global supply chain. All these things are inter-linked at the end of the day. So we wish India all the best and we sincerely hope that India achieves its economic targets in the years to come,” he added.
Basit also said economic agenda and interdependencies constitute the warp and woof of modern economic diplomacy.
During the 18th SAARC summit in Kathmandu, the leaders of rival countries had spent most of the summit cold-shouldering each other which salvaged after a handshake on its culminating day.
He said India is expected to clock a growth rate of 7.4% in 2014-15 and cross 8% in the next financial year beginning 1 April.
“Coming from SAARC region itself, we hope that SAARC also, in the months and years ahead, will achieve its targets. The next SAARC summit, the 19th SAARC summit will be held in Pakistan next year. So we are looking forward to working together, to work together to lift our people from the morass of poverty, illiteracy and disease, because these are common challenges and common objectives. So we would look forward to working hand-in-hand with other SAARC member countries to achieve our shared objectives,” said Basit. The bilateral trade between India and Pakistan stood at $2.7 billion in 2013-14.
Besides India, SAARC members include Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as its members.
However, Basit refused to comment on 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, saying his case is sub-judice and it was better not to jump the gun.
The squabbling between India and Pakistan is widely blamed for the poor performance of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), initially founded with the goal of moving towards a European-style union.
Despite a free trade pact in force since 2006, high tariffs and curbs on movement limit trade among South Asian nations to just 5% of their total trade.
The grouping’s failure to foster closer ties over the past three decades has left the way open for China to step in, by helping to build ports and roads.
