SAARC Courtesy:
2 March 2015

An Indian democracy template for SAARC?

Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar’s visit to SAARC countries from March 1 is an opportunity to examine the political trajectories in the region. While democracy in some countries like Sri Lanka is on an upswing, in others, like Bangladesh, it is in decline. With China’s growing economic influence in South Asia, can Indian democracy be an effective counterpoint?

Modi with Sharif_SAARC Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
1 December 2014

Can SAARC succeed despite itself?

The recent SAARC Summit was once again derailed by India-Pakistan dissonances. Is it time for India to look beyond this collective? Or are there ways to overcome the distrust and address border issues, build institutions to implement common goals, and create an economic union of confident democracies?

15267919794_c437878c2b_z (1) Courtesy: MEA
28 November 2014

SAARC debriefing

The 18th SAARC Summit held in Nepal concluded on November 27 with the release of the Kathmandu Declaration. Did the summit live up to its expectations? Was concrete progress made, and if so in which areas? Where is SAARC heading now? Gateway House asks and answers five questions on the outcome of the summit

burdwanblast_6 Courtesy: wikimedia
25 November 2014

Combating terror financing through SAARC

Despite an early regional consensus on counter-terror, SAARC’s record in tackling terrorism remains dismal. With the widening network of terrorist groups in the subcontinent, it is imperative that India takes the lead in forging substantial counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly on the issue of financing

SAARC Courtesy: pmindia.nic.in
21 November 2014

Will SAARC embark on a new path?

The 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu next week is an opportunity for member countries to start shaking off the shackles of distrust. Instead, SAARC must robustly move forward on such issues as regional connectivity, SAFTA, climate change, and security—and India can be the prime mover in building this renewed cooperation

SAARCsummit1 Courtesy: Wikimedia commons
21 November 2014

A primer on SAARC

The 18th SAARC Summit will cover a wide range of issues, including connectivity, climate change, and SAFTA. A number of similar issues were discussed at the last summit—what’s been the progress since then? Given its constraints, does the association have a future? Gateway House asks and answers five questions on SAARC

east asia summit Courtesy: wikimedia
7 November 2014

A multilateral test for Modi

After bilateral meetings, the thrust for Prime Minister Modi will now change with various multilateral summits coming up, starting with India-ASEAN and the East Asia Summit next week. These are opportunities to expand India’s regional position and economic links, and address issues such as terrorism and a rising China

mia-main Courtesy: wikimediacommons
31 October 2014

State-to-state diplomacy

After a brief a spell of bonhomie marked by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attending Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, the hostilities between the two countries have resumed. Amidst the backdrop of increased tensions on the LoC, Gateway House recommends some small, realistic steps forward through state-to-state diplomacy, to mend the bilateral