THE TWELFTH SUMMIT AND THE FUTURE OF SAARC

This article provides a detailed assessment of the 12th SAARC Summit, held in Islamabad in January 2004, and analyzes its implications for the future of the regional organization. The study highlights the key outcomes of the summit, most notably the signing of the framework agreement on the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and the adoption of an Additional Protocol on Terrorism. The research argues that the summit represented a significant breakthrough, breathing new life into a regional process that had often been stalled. The paper analyzes the positive political atmosphere of the summit, which was facilitated by a temporary thaw in India-Pakistan relations. The analysis concludes by offering a forward-looking perspective on the future of SAARC, suggesting that the 12th Summit had created a new momentum, but its long-term success would depend on the sustained implementation of its landmark agreements and the continued improvement in the regional political climate.

The 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad is widely regarded as one of the most successful and productive summits in the organization's history. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of its key achievements and their significance for the future of regional cooperation in South Asia. The first and most important outcome analyzed is the signing of the SAFTA agreement. The paper details the long and difficult negotiations that preceded this breakthrough and argues that the agreement, despite its limitations, was a historic step that laid the foundation for a more integrated regional economy. The second major achievement examined is the signing of the Additional Protocol to the SAARC Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, which was designed to strengthen regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism by, among other things, targeting its financing. The core of the paper is an analysis of the political dynamics that made these breakthroughs possible. It highlights the crucial role of the concurrent peace process between India and Pakistan, which created a positive and constructive atmosphere for the summit. The findings suggest that the 12th Summit was a powerful demonstration of the direct and positive linkage between the state of bilateral relations and the health of the multilateral regional process. The paper concludes with a cautiously optimistic outlook. It argues that the summit had successfully put SAARC back on track and had laid out an ambitious agenda for the future, but it also warns that the sustainability of this new momentum was entirely dependent on the continued commitment of the member states, particularly India and Pakistan, to a path of dialogue and cooperation.