New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has refused the speculation about South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) without Pakistan due to the heightened tension between India and Pakistan.
“It’s government’s priority to promote closer cooperation and economic integration in our region. Our interest in SAARC remains intact but our concerns is that the connectivity, trade, including MFN and cooperation that SAARC requires and the terror free atmosphere needed for those initiatives is not there due to the actions of one country in our neighborhood. That is why all SAARC countries wrote to the Chair, Nepal, saying in one voice that in the current atmosphere it is not possible to participate in the proposed SAARC Summit in Islamabad,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Vikas Swarup told media.
He further added that, “We remain committed to SAARC and its principles. Our intention is not to throw out the baby with the bath water. It is in cleaning up the bath water.”
The SAARC Summit which was to be held in Islamabad was postponed after India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan backed out from the Summit.
It was speculated that India would try to create a new South Asian regional grouping without Pakistan as a part of India’s policy to isolate Pakistan after the terror attack in Uri on September 18 in Jammu and Kashmir.
