Bilateral And Multilateral Cooperation In South Asia

This book examines how bilateralism and multilateralism serve as cornerstones in bringing countries together to enhance regional cooperation. It explores the unfolding dynamics of bilateral and multilateral relationships in South Asia and looks at how factors like the absence of shared identities or common threats from external sources, a lack of trust, and suspicion are manifesting as obstacles for regional cooperation. With case studies from various constituent countries, the volume studies themes such as economic cooperation in South Asia, connections through sub-regional initiatives, migration and refugee problems in the region, SAARC and terrorism, the Pashtun factor in Afghanistan–Pakistan relations, India’s interests in ASEAN and BIMSTEC, the nuclear dynamics of India–Pakistan relations, India–Bangladesh connectivity issues, Sri Lanka as a troubled island nation, and Afghanistan’s relations with the Kashmir Valley. It discusses the implications of these long-standing issues that have stood as impediments to regional cooperation and bringing new perspectives to enable greater understanding and probable solutions. A comprehensive and accessible volume, it will be useful for scholars and researchers of international relations, international trade, South Asian studies, SAARC, regional development, international and multilateral trade, political studies, geo-politics, strategic and defence studies, and peace and conflict resolution.

Traditionally, stability in Asia has relied on America's bilateral alliances with Japan, Australia, and the Republic of Korea. Yet in recent years, emergent and more active multilateral forums--such as the Six-Party Talks on North Korea and the East Asia Summit--have taken precedence, engendering both cooperation and competition while reflecting the local concerns of the region. Some are concerned that this process is moving toward less-inclusive, bloc-based "talking shops" and that the future direction and success of these arrangements, along with their implications for global and regional security and prosperity, remain unclear. The fifteen contributors to this volume, all leading scholars in the field, provide national perspectives on regional institutional architecture and their functional challenges. They illuminate areas of cooperation that will move the region toward substantive collaboration, convergence of norms, and strengthened domestic institutions. They also highlight the degree to which institution building in Asia--a region composed of liberal democracies, authoritarian regimes, and anachronistic dictatorships--has become an arena for competition among major powers and conflicting norms, and assess the future shape of Asian security architecture.

This book highlights various cutting-edge topics and approaches to cooperation and regional integration in South Asia. Contributions from both South Asian and EU scholars carry the distinctive flavour of differing perspectives, in order to identify possible driving factors for regional cooperation. The book is divided into four parts: Peace and Stability focuses on how to combat terrorism and ideologies of hate, looks at governance in the context of cultural diversity, and examines the role of education in achieving traditional and human security; Economic Cooperation deals with potential EU-India trade relations as well as the issue of how to transform the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) into an effective and coherent economic space; Efficient Use of Resources analyses how the region can achieve more development; EU-South Asia relations elaborates on potential areas of cooperation between the two regions.

'Conflict and Cooperation on South Asia's International Rivers' traces the development of international water law. This book focuses on the hydro-politics of four countries in the South Asia region: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. It analyzes the problems that these countries have encountered as riparians of international rivers and how they have addressed these problems. In particular, this study reviews the treaty regimes governing the Indus River basin, the Ganges River basin, and the Kosi, Gandaki, and Mahakali river basins. Each of these regimes is described in-depth, with special attention devoted to the main problems each of these treaties sought to address. The authors also review the treaty experience and offer observations on bilateralism and multilateralism.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced countries around the globe into lockdown, imposing trade and travel restrictions with devastating economic impacts on all sectors of the economy. In working toward greater economic stability, Australia has been strengthening its trade relations with other countries, which is reflected through its increased strategic relations with India. However, it is now essential to explore how Australia is working to further expand its collaboration with other South Asian countries and find new markets and opportunities for trade, investment, tourism, international education, and business dealings for its resources, services, manufacturing, and technology sectors. Strategic Cooperation and Partnerships Between Australia and South Asia: Economic Development, Trade, and Investment Opportunities Post COVID-19 provides an overview of the Australian trade and investment relationship with South Asian countries and identifies the trends and developments of bilateral trade agreements in strategic areas of trade, tourism, investment, education, prior and post COVID-19. Covering topics such as international trade, climate change policy, and macroeconomics, it is ideal for policymakers, practitioners, industry professionals, government officials, academicians, researchers, instructors, and students.

"The central theme of this book is the utility of bilateralism and multilateralism in Southeast Asia international relations. The intention was to examine a sufficient number of empirical cases in the Southeast Asian region since the mid-1970's so as to establish a pattern of interactions informing a wider audience of interactions unique to the region. Through these case studies, we seek to identify how this pattern of interaction compares with similar experiences elsewhere vis-a-vis the theoretical underpinnings of multilateralism and bilateralism. Consequently, this book also examines the theoretical drift in international relations literature at the broadest level and the overall drift of Southeast Asian international relations between the nations themselves and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)."--P. xv.

Leading South Asia expert Bhumitra Chakma explains the politics of regionalism in South Asia and traces the origins and evolution of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) from its inception to the present day. He takes an International Relations perspective and engages three major IR theoretical approaches – neorealism, institutionalism and constructivism – to explain the complex dynamics of South Asian regionalism. Using comparative perspectives based on the experiences of similar regional organizations, the author provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges of cooperation in the region and explores how progress might be made in the future.