Round The World
New
Delhi, 7 January 2015
Regional
Integration
BIMSTEC
IS THE WAY
By Ashok B
Sharma
Integration of South Asia has become
a dream for some sceptics after the last SAARC summit at Kathmandu.
They believe that SAARC’s march towards a common customs union and an economic
union would continue to remain a distant possibility for times to come. The
SAARC Free Trade Area (SAFTA) already in operation has not met with much
success as the official intra-regional trade remains around $22 billion a year,
though trade through unofficial channels continue unabated. If the figure of
unofficial trade is added up to the official, the total may be around $60
billion. This shows the potentiality of the region.
South Asia is the third largest
economy in terms of GDP on the basis of purchasing power parity after the US
and China. It hosts 21% of the world’s population on 3% of the global land
mass.
However, the deeper integration of
South Asia is being held to hostage on account of political difference between
the two major powers in the region – India
and Pakistan.
Very often there are skirmishes at the border. Some feel that unless and until
the differences between the two nations are fully resolved integration of South Asia would remain a distant dream. Though the trade
relations between both have improved in the recent years with Pakistan
commerce ministry moving from positive to negative list for imports to
facilitate entry of more Indian goods, still much needs to be desired.
Over a decade back India had accorded the most favoured nation
(MFN) status to Pakistan
in matters of trade, but the latter has yet to reciprocate. Islamabad
is thinking of giving non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) to Indian goods
and at the same time is yet to allow these goods to pass through its territory
to reach Afghanistan.
The outcome of the last 18th SAARC
Summit at Kathmandu has strengthened the
belief of the sceptics. The leaders were slated to sign three agreements,
namely on motor vehicle cooperation, railway connectivity and cooperation in
electricity trade. None of these were signed at the Summit venue. However, the oweveragreement on
electricity cooperation was signed with the intervention of the host, Nepalese
Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at the Retreat of Leaders at Dhulikhel. The
signing of the two other agreements is slated to be resolved at the ministerial
level.
The big question is, for how long
will the South Asia integration be held to hostage?
Is there a way out? Yes. India
which is a major country in the region shares borders with all countries with
the exception of Afghanistan,
which shares its borders with Pakistan.
Hence, New Delhi should play a more proactive
role in deeper integration of South Asia and
work out the plans with all the countries that share the same borders.
Regarding, integration with Afghanistan,
India should explore the
possibility of using Chabahar port in Iran
to reach goods and services to Afghanistan
by rail and land route. Rightly this possibility is being explored.
Besides, focus should be given to
the sub-regional grouping already in existence – the Bay of Bengal Initiative
for Multi-Sectoral and Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which has
within its fold five of the eight SAARC countries, excluding Maldives, Pakistan
and Afghanistan.
BIMSTEC also includes two countries of ASEAN bloc namely Thailand and Myanmar. Therefore, if it is
reactivated in real spirit, it can serve as an effective bridge between South
Asia and South East Asia. It would also be better
to offer BIMSTEC membership to Maldives,
even though it is situated in the Arabian Sea and not in the Bay
of Bengal. Being a SAARC country it can play a positive role in
BIMSTEC by strengthening South Asia’s
integration with ASEAN.
BIMSTEC is much younger to SAARC
which is around 30 years old. Though not much focus has been given to it, the
sub-regional group has some definite positive achievements to its credit. It
includes SAARC countries like Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Indian, Nepal, Sri Lanka
and ASEAN countries like Myanmar
and Thailand.
It brings together 1.5 billion people amounting to 21% of the world population
and a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion.
But unfortunately, BIMSTEC so far
has had only three Summit-level meetings since its formation in June 1997 in Bangkok. Only recently it
had got its secretariat which is rightly situated in Bangladesh. The present leadership
in Dhaka under Shiekh Hasina is very proactive
in fostering regional integration not only in SAARC but also in BIMSTEC. The
last BIMSTEC Summit was in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar
last year and the next is scheduled to be hosted in Nepal.
BIMSTEC has identified 14 priority
areas where a member country takes the lead. India
is the lead country for transport and communication, tourism, environment and
disaster management and counter-terrorism and transnational crime, Bangladesh for
trade and investment and has circulated a concept paper on climate change. Bhutan is the lead country for cultural
cooperation, Myanmar for
energy and agriculture cooperation and Nepal has taken up the issue of
cooperation in poverty alleviation. Sri Lanka
is the lead country for technology cooperation and Thailand is for cooperation in
fishery, public health and people-to-people contact.
The BIMSTEC Transport Infrastructure
and Logistics Study (BTILS) has identified as many as 100 projects that would
promote connectivity within the region. These projects are to be funded by the
Asian Development Bank. Apart from these, there are the Kaladan Multi-Modal
Project that would connect India
to ASEAN countries and the India-Myanmar-Thailand
Trilateral Highway, both of which are expected to
be completed by 2016. There is also the ESCAP dream project of Asian Highway.
A new democratic government is
likely to be in place in Myanmar,
this year which may prove beneficial for regional cooperation. Further, as
Shiekh Hasina is determined to ensure regional cooperation, the Myanmar-Bangladesh-India
gas pipeline can be a reality. New Delhi also
needs to do a bit for Dhaka in matters of
sharing waters of river Teesta and effecting the land boundary agreement. India
by striking electricity generation and sharing agreements with Nepal and Bhutan
other than initiating sub-regional Mekong-Ganga Cooperation that includes
Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam has set an outstanding example.
To foster faster and deeper
integration in South Asia, BIMSTEC is the way.
Efforts should be made to include Maldives
and that India integrates
with Afghanistan through Iran. If this
happens, Pakistan
will be compelled to play its positive role ultimately. Sooner, the better.
---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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