Everyone aware of country responsible for stymying SAARC: MEA
New Delhi, July 28
Emphasising that cooperation requires goodwill, India on Tuesday reiterated its support for strong regional cooperation, while asserting that everyone in South Asia knows which country and its activities have hindered the functioning of SAARC.
The remarks came after Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu recently called on SAARC member states to return to the negotiating table in the interest of regional peace and cooperation.
Addressing the Maldives 61st Independence Day ceremony, Muizzu noted the current impasse within the SAARC, stressing that Male stands ready to serve as a mediator.
Responding to a question on Muizzu's remarks during a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "India has made its position very clear regarding regional cooperation. India favours strong regional cooperation and has been working towards it for several decades now. Everyone in South Asia is aware of which country and what activities are responsible for stymying SAARC. After all, cooperation does require goodwill."
SAARC was founded in Dhaka on December 8, 1985, with the noble aim of fostering economic and social development, cultural exchange and regional stability among eight South Asian member nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
New Delhi strongly hoped for the SAARC to take a lead in the region, but Pakistan's continuous sponsoring of terrorism made the organisation completely incapable and incompetent. The regional bloc has remained inactive since 2016 after India pulled out of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in the wake of the Uri terrorist attack.
Pakistan has been consistently using regional forums to advance false narratives against India.
Last week, India slammed the "baseless and unwarranted" comments made Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Kashmir and Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at the 33rd Regional Forum meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila, terming them as yet another "futile attempt" by the Pakistani establishment to deflect attention from its own internal crisis and its well-proven role as a safe haven for global terrorist networks.
New Delhi highlighted that a multilateral forum was once again "cynically exploited" by Pakistan to amplify falsehoods and peddle state-sponsored disinformation.
"India categorically rejects the baseless and unwarranted comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan. It is no surprise that a multilateral forum has once again been cynically exploited by Pakistan to amplify falsehoods, peddle state-sponsored disinformation, and divert attention from its own well-documented record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism," said Jaiswal in response to media queries regarding the comments made by Dar.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Maldives President Muizzu seems to be trying to be the peacemaker, but the problem is fundamental. How can you have regional cooperation when one member state actively sponsors terrorism against others? India's stance is completely understandable.
I agree with the overall sentiment but sometimes I feel India could also try a more diplomatic approach. While Pakistan's actions are wrong, completely abandoning SAARC might not help the common people in the region who would benefit from trade and cultural exchange. 🤔
It's sadly ironic that SAARC was founded with such high hopes in Dhaka in 1985, and now it's completely paralyzed. Pakistan's behavior has damaged not just India-Pakistan relations but the entire South Asian vision of cooperation. The Uri attack was the final straw.
MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said it perfectly - 'cooperation requires goodwill'. Pakistan has zero goodwill towards India. They keep using forums like ASEAN and SAARC to push propaganda instead of talking about real issues like poverty and development. Focus on your own internal chaos first! 🎯
Sad to see how Pakistan has sabotaged SAARC. What could have been a vibrant regional bloc like ASEAN is now a dead organization because of one country's destructive policies. Maldives' offer to mediate is nice in theory but the core issue of cross-border terrorism remains.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.