Beyond SAARC’s Shadow: BIMSTEC as the Vehicle for South Asian Regionalism
▸ Part of: Nepal Elected Vice President of World Health Assembly
BIMSTEC is presented as a more viable framework for South Asian regionalism than the stalled SAARC, primarily because it excludes Pakistan and includes Thailand, linking South Asia to ASEAN. BIMSTEC's geographic coherence around the Bay of Bengal and its recent institutional strengthening through the BIMSTEC Charter are highlighted as assets. However, challenges remain, including instability in Myanmar, the stalled Free Trade Agreement, and uneven political commitment from member states. China's growing influence is seen as an impetus for strengthening BIMSTEC as a regional alternative.
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Related
China
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Bhutan
India
Bangladesh
ASEAN
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Pakistan
Myanmar
Harsh Pandey
India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway
Nepal
Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project
BIMSTEC Charter
Hambantota Port
SAARC
BIMSTEC
