Asian Countries Explore Alternative to Dormant SAARC, Seek New Regional Bloc

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), established in 1985 to foster economic and cultural cooperation among South Asian nations, has been largely dormant for nearly a decade. The organization’s last full summit was held in 2014, and its operations have been severely hampered by persistent political tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan.

In response to SAARC’s stagnation, several Asian countries, including China and Pakistan, are now exploring the creation of a new regional bloc. Diplomatic sources from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have confirmed that informal consultations have been ongoing. According to Pakistan’s *The Express Tribune*, a meeting was held earlier this month in Kunming, China, with Bangladesh also in attendance.

“The ultimate goal of the meeting in Kunming on June 19 was to invite other South Asian countries, which were part of SAARC, to join the new grouping,” *The Express Tribune* reported.

A senior Bangladeshi official expressed frustration with SAARC’s current state, stating, “SAARC is not functioning in its current form, and we need mechanisms that are more nimble, apolitical, and results-oriented.” This sentiment is shared by smaller member states like Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, whose regional aspirations have been stalled by geopolitical tensions.

Meanwhile, China’s cross-regional initiatives in Central and East Asia have drawn in countries like Afghanistan and the Maldives, offering economic opportunities in exchange for closer strategic alignment with Beijing.

Experts warn that SAARC’s failure to revive not only weakens South Asia’s collective bargaining power on global platforms but also deepens fragmentation in an era that demands transboundary cooperation on issues like climate change, migration, public health, and digital infrastructure.

“SAARC’s irrelevance is no longer just a diplomatic embarrassment; it’s a lost opportunity in a world where regional blocs are increasingly determining the pace of development,” said Dr. Farah Qureshi, a South Asia policy analyst based in New Delhi.

As newer alignments take shape, analysts caution that any successful replacement for SAARC must go beyond simply sidestepping India-Pakistan tensions. It must offer functional cooperation mechanisms, political inclusivity, and the agility to respond to the region’s evolving challenges.

For now, the future of SAARC remains uncertain—but the regional appetite for pragmatic alternatives is clearly growing.