Union minister MJ Akbar said on Thursday that South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) was going through “teething problems”, but expressed hope that the university formed by the bloc would have a smoother run.
The minister of state for external affairs was speaking on the occasion of Saarc Charter Day organised at the Saarc University in New Delhi.
“Saarc is itself going through teething problems, which are obvious enough. But I am absolutely sure that the university with its has a much smoother run than the bloc itself,” he said.
“South Asian history is a complex history untouched by emotionalism. And very often proximity doesn’t lead to clarity. Proximity leads to complexity and problem.”
“We have to live through them. We cannot change too much of our past, but we can change substantial amount of future,” he said.
The Saarc University was founded in 2010 by eight South Asian Nations. It currently operates from Akbar Bhawan in Delhi.
Following the Uri attack in September this year, India pulled out of the Saarc Summit in Islamabad, which was to be held in November. Bhutan and Bangladesh also pulled out of the summit.
{{/usCountry}}Following the Uri attack in September this year, India pulled out of the Saarc Summit in Islamabad, which was to be held in November. Bhutan and Bangladesh also pulled out of the summit.
{{/usCountry}}The South Asian bloc has often been affected by tumultuous relations between India and Pakistan.