South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

24.11.2021 Strategic Communications

SAARC is an economic and political regional organisation of countries in South Asia set up in 1985. It aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in its member states through increased intra-regional cooperation.

What is SAARC ?

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established on 8 December 1985. The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 17 January 1987. SAARC has eight member countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka).

The objectives of the Association are: to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials. SAARC also aims to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries and to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.

SAARC Heads of State are scheduled to meet at annual Summits. The last one was organised in Kathmandu in 2014. Since then, Nepal has been organizing informal meetings of SAARC Foreign Ministers every year. The last one was hosted virtually by Kathmandu in September 2020 in the margins of the UNGA.

SAARC designed and implemented a regional SAARC Covid-19 emergency fund, amounting to around 22 M USD, to foster the cooperation among its member states.

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18th SAARC Summit. © SAARC Secretariat

EU - SAARC Cooperation

The EU has an observer status in SAARC since 2006, together with Australia, China, Iran, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar, and the USA. The last Summit agreed to engage observers in demand-driven and project-based cooperation in priority areas: communication, connectivity, agriculture, public health, energy, environment, and economic cooperation.

The EU greatly values co-operation and regional integration in South Asia. The EU believes that it can help consolidate the ongoing integration process through its economic influence in the region, its own historical experience of economic and trade integration and of dealing with diversity, and its interest in crisis prevention. The EU is also committed to promote connectivity in the region in close relation with its partners through the Global Gateway strategy. This strategy stands for sustainable and trusted connections that work for people and the planet. It will help to tackle the most pressing global challenges, from fighting climate change to improving health systems, and boosting competitiveness and security of global supply chains.

The EU is convinced that SAARC could play a useful role in regional co-operation and dialogue.

Milestones

1996

European Commission and SAARC Secretariat sign Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation which has provided the background for technical assistance on trade matters.

1999

EU and SAARC agree to cooperate on improving market access for SAARC products into EU, working towards a cumulation of rules of origin for SAARC products for exports to the EU, giving a Technical support for the establishment of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement and supporting the harmonisation of SAARC standards.

2006

EU obtains SAARC Observer Status.