Online published on 24 November, 2011.
Interstate associations for regional cooperation have developed all over the world in the aftermath of the Second World War. South Asia is a vast, diverse but well defined geographic region with a long tradition of cultural political and economic commonality. Though South Asian nations are not unified by the perception of a common outside threat, unlike ASEAN and often have conflictual relations, they also share many interests and are interdependent. Furthermore, the sense of national identity among many of their peoples is weak. On the other hand, there is still relatively little intra-regional economic cooperation within South Asia. India's overwhelming preponderance incites its smaller neighbours to seek external allies and thereby remain dependent on external states or associations of states such as the United States of America, the European Union and the People's Republic of China, perpetuating old colonial tributary relations, often through the agency of international aid giving institutions. A strategic dialogue between India and Pakistan, the two largest nations in the region, is a critical imperative if South Asia is to become self reliant.
