Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Kabul (BNA) The 21st century has witnessed the emerging of many states as regional powers through Regional Organizations, Cooperation, Associations and Unions in Asia.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) established in 1985 in South Asia, consist of eight south Asian countries of Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Pakistan.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) established in 1967 includes Southeast Asian countries of Laos, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) founded in 2001 in Shanghai of China, it has six members such as Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) formed in 1985 comprise of ten states of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Kyrgyz, Turkmenistan and Northern Cyprus. The competition among countries forced the government to take precise initiatives and adopt mechanisms to strengthen their economy. The privatization, liberalization and globalization (LPG) process laid significant consequences on various dimensions of some nations development as government in these states enjoyed democratic system and a flourished economy with professional human resource, transparency and people awareness from the principles of democracy, vital role of private sector and the impacts of globalization and the liberalization process.
It also influenced the developing countries to compete in the international market and present their products and find investment opportunities for further economic growth. In order to support the trend many countries established economic, cultural and regional cooperation’s and organizations with their neighboring countries and allies and are striving to promote the regional cooperation so through the course maintain stability, expand the trade relations, counter the external threats and as a single political unit and identity counter the challenges and obstacles confronted to them in various spheres. South Asia in the form of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) to some extent has gained achievements in various areas as it endeavors to promote and strengthen regional cooperation through trade, culture and other similar aspects existed among the South Asian states. At the meantime a glance to the history and social structure of these states articulates that through years and even centuries many of the South Asian states enjoyed alike cultures which can be seen as a major binding factor and for promoting of prosperity, harmony and good neighborhood in the region. Also diversities in South Asian states can be seen as obstacle before the development of the region because the South Asia besides seizing about one fifth of the world population remained away from the developments comparing to the growth of regional organizations.
