A new book titled ‘Regional Economic Integration: Challenges for South Asia during Turbulent Times’ was released at the inaugural session of Fifth South Asia Economic Summit co-organized by South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) with its member organization Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan and other think tanks from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. The book, jointly published by SAWTEE and South Asia Center for Policy Studies (SACEPS), highlights challenges for regional economic integration in South Asia by examining the current shortcomings and future challenges.
Edited by Dr. Saman Kelegama of Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka together with SAWTEE team comprising Dr. Ratnakar Adhikari, Mr. Puspa Sharma and Mr. Paras Kharel, the book contains contributions from South Asian authors on a range of issues that have far reaching implications for regional economic cooperation in South Asia.
“The contributions by authors associated with various regional institutions in this book offer novel ideas in furthering regional integration in a range of issues and sectors. Importantly, it aids the pledge made by leaders in 16th SAARC Summit to make the regional body a truly action oriented,” said Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Executive Chairman of SAWTEE.
The book includes contributions on emerging issues such as the problems and challenges of regional economic integration; the impediments to good and services liberalization; regional connectivity and trade facilitation; analysis on the financial flows to South Asia in the form of remittances at a time of global turbulence; finance required for more effective integration of LDC members of SAARC into the regional economic cooperation framework; the role of civil society and the private sector in expediting regional economic integration; and South Asia’s interests in the WTO negotiations on liberalization of environmental goods and services.
The book is based on papers presented and the deliberations in the 3rd South Asia Economic Summit held in Kathmandu in December 2010. The chapters are authored by researchers and experts from regional civil society organizations, think tanks and business associations.
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