TY  - BOOK
AU  - Mal, Sagar
TI  - South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA): problems and prospects / 
U1  - RM.0405 
PY  - 2016///
CY  - New Delhi : 
PB  - ICSSR
KW  - Introduction to SAFTA
KW  - Objectives of SAFTA
KW  - Problems faced by SAFTA
KW  - Disputes and conflicts among SAFTA members
KW  - Incomplete tariff liberalization and non-tariff barriers
KW  - Unequal distribution of benefits among SAFTA members
KW  - Prospects of SAFTA
KW  - Steps needed to improve the functioning of SAFTA
N1  - Include bibliographical references
N2  - The formation of regional groups like the European Economic Community (EEC), Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was felt as a necessity within the framework of the United Nations. These regional groups were formed to address the common interests of countries in a particular geographical region and to make a single strategy for political, economic, social, and trade relations. However, the establishment of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) took a long time due to continued tense relations among member countries.

The idea for SAARC was initiated by the President of Bangladesh in 1980, and formal discussions began with the first meeting of foreign secretaries of seven countries in 1981. However, the approach of participating nations was cautious, and no one was in a hurry to see the early evolution of an institutional framework for regional cooperation. Major countries adopted a cautious approach due to past intense relations among most of these nations. They agreed to take all decisions on the basis of unanimity, while bilateral and contentious issues needed to be excluded from deliberations. The purpose of SAARC was to create an atmosphere of mutual confidence and political understanding among the seven nations, with the intention to remove disparities and adopt a gradual approach to the development of regional cooperation
ER  -