| Publication |
2006.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In the last decade, India has shown a keen interest in the formation of sub-regional groupings such as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Mekong Ganga Project (MGC). There are five reasons for this: the need to find a working alternative to a non-functional South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the importance of this contiguous region with regard to geopolitics and security, rivalry with China, the growing economic links between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the strategic advantages of enhanced relations with Myanmar. There are barriers to regional integration within the region mentioned, such as weak political institutions and human rights violations, but ASEAN offers a good model. India needs to adopt a multi-dimensional consultative approach in this matter.
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