Amid speculations, apparently it seems that the meeting between KP Oli and Narendra Modi did not go particularly well. It is common knowledge that the two prime ministers, despite the ideological differences, share few commonalities. They are both staunch nationalists and proud persons. They can also easily be categorized as populist leaders who can master powerful rhetoric that bends toward demagogy.
Therefore it is not hard to imagine that there is no natural alchemy between the two. Yet only time will tell us how the meeting really went.
Did the meeting provide a space for Mr. Oli and Mr. Modi to either clarify their stances while respectfully venting their respective frustration with a positive and reconciliatory attitude or, instead, their talk created more distrust and cement their incompatibility?
Yet regardless of this episode, that was, after all, just a marginal bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a regional forum, the BIMSTEC that still has to prove its worthiness, there was one issue that Mr. Oli should have pursued while talking with his counterpart.
And it should become a tenet of his government’s future priorities in matters of foreign affairs.
I am talking about the promotion of regional cooperation in South Asia.
To be honest, hardly such a theme might have come up.
It is highly improbable that the two leaders had the willingness nor the interest to discuss the comatose South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, SAARC.
No reports nor commentary indeed highlighted the possibility that this topic was even broached.
This must be particularly true for Mr. Modi who never showed appetite to further the only real platform to project South Asia as a more united and cohesive Community of nations.
Let’s not forget that the last SAARC Summit, the 18th, was held in Kathmandu in 2014.
It is more than 10 years that Heads of State or Government of Member States have not met and this is shameful, especially if you look at the geopolitical dynamics that are emerging and where a true multipolar order is being established.
In fairness, it is more than understandable that India wants to be among the protagonists of such a new scenario.
As the most populous nation and soon expected to be the fourth largest economy, India has the clear vision to be among those who lead economically and one day, also militarily, the world.
Therefore India does not really need ASEAN.
As SAARC Turns Forty…
In the eyes of New Delhi, this is a disposable mechanism that does not really enhance its strategic aim of supremacy in the region.
But India still needs its neighbors and it needs to have them stable and prosperous even if just for the sake of its selfish interest of maintaining its own trajectory of growth.
So while this strategy is legitimate but shortsighted, there is nothing that other countries can do to persuade India to change its mind.
Yet, because Nepal, at least theoretically, is the Chair of the Association, Mr. Oli should have given a try to nudge his counterpart towards action.
Even though the Nepali Prime Minister knew that his counterpart would not have shown an interest on the subject, Mr. Oli, just for the sake of upholding his own responsibility as formal Chair of SAARC, should have made an attempt.
But ultimately from the perspective of other capitals of the region, the SAARC is still very much relevant.
There is no BIMSTEC that can replace it.
For Kathmandu, Thimphu, Dhaka, Colombo, Male and even for Islamabad (I am not counting on Kabul as now Afghanistan run by the Taliban has become an international pariah), an enhanced process of regional cooperation is the best route to prosperity and development.
This is the reason why Mr. Oli should invest his political capital to start discussions around ways to reactivate the SAARC process.
To start with, Mr. Oli should schedule a tour of SAARC capitals even if New Delhi would remain skeptical and indifferent to this proposition.
Then, Kathmandu should convene some sort of informal discussion group, first among the nation’s think tanks and then among other international research centers within South Asia, asking for suggestions on how to reboot SAARC even without India’s buy-in.
This, granted, is going to be challenging but it is not an insurmountable wall.
The reason why the SAARC Summit did not take place for all these years is because India, sometimes more or less tacitly and subtly, other times more outspokenly, never gave its consent.
But what about convening an informal gathering (let’s not even call it a “summit”) of South Asian leaders in Kathmandu?
Actually this would have been a powerful idea also to promote Nepal’s own strategic interests if it had been planned for the upcoming Sagarmatha Sambad to be held next month.
Still the Sambad could offer the opportunity to Mr. Oli not only to talk about Nepal as an attractive economy to invest in or to talk about the perils of climate warming.
Undoubtedly these are paramount issues that will top Mr. Oli’s agenda during the two days event.
But let’s imagine the Prime Minister of Nepal giving a powerful speech that would also include a long segment focused on regional cooperation.
I would call this part of his speech “Re-imagine South Asia”.
It could be where Mr. Oli could envision a stronger and more united region that is able to leverage its untapped potential, a land that now is a source of out-migration but, one day, could become a hotspot to attract the best minds from the planet.
This following could be a paragraph of his speech.
“Nowadays the process of regional cooperation in South Asia is paralyzed and moribund.
Yet if we want to ensure prosperity for our peoples, it is inevitable that such a process is rebooted.
That’s why I am going to engage all my counterparts in the region in a conversation on how to reactivate it.
Today, I am also announcing that I will also convey a group of technical advisors from Nepal and also from the whole region so we can get new ideas.
It is paramount to remain open to unconventional thinking when we talk about SAARC.
I do believe that we need to think out of the box in order to resuscitate our Community of Nations.
Moreover, as part of my holistic approach to reinvigorate the SAARC, I will also directly engage with the Secretariat for such a vital institution to assume a more prominent and visible role in promoting our common and shared goals as a Community of Nations.
I am also announcing that, on the occasion of the next Sagarmatha Sambad to be held by the end of 2026, a SAARC People’s Forum will be held in Pokhara.This event will be led by the civil society so that they will be able to brainstorm with no constraints and think imaginatively.
Last but not the least, I am also announcing that, by the end of 2025, Nepal will organize an informal gathering of all the Heads of State and Governments of the SAARC.
And I am proud to announce that Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, will host it.
This initiative will be in the format of a retreat where we will have the opportunity to discuss, in a place that inspires peace, wisdom and farsightedness, not only about modalities to strengthen SAARC but also our common priorities for the years to come.
And let’s not forget that, stronger regional cooperation among the nations and peoples of South Asia, will bring endless new opportunities for all of us and, ultimately, it will lead to even closer and stronger regional mechanisms.
Because, let’s be clear, cooperation among us will be a linchpin for integration among us and we will all benefit from it.
Long life to Nepal and long life to South Asia”.
Now back to reality. Can you imagine the effect of such a speech?
Would the peoples of the region feel encouraged and inspired by it? I believe they would.
What about the political leaders of the region, the Heads of State and Governments?
I believe they should as well.
At the worst, in the possibility that the informal retreat in Lumbini of the leaders of the region will ever happen, there might be an empty seat on the table.
I guess few of the participants will be bothered about it.
Opinion expressed is personal
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