Whatever may be the differences on the surface, India getting Pakistan ink SAARC energy pact was a diplomatic win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yes, one will have to wait for the energy agreement becoming a reality. The Indian Cabinet had approved the agreement, which comprises a regional power grid in anticipation of the signing at the Kathmandu SAARC meet. Many of the SAARC countries have felt the need to have cooperation in the field of road and rail connectivity, energy sharing and have expressed this desire to Modi who took up the issue with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif who also agreed to the idea and the pact was signed. For India this is diplomatic win especially the standoff both countries have on many other issues. Once the agreement becomes workable it is expected to improve power supply in the entire region by facilitating integrated operation of regional power grid. Pakistan has also reciprocated the sentiments by describing the agreement as a significant milestone of the 18th SAARC Summit. SAARC can provide a better platform for improving bilateral relations and solving issues related to members, howsoever even there may some differences prevailing for providing a pragmatic and realistic approach for regional integration. The Kathmandu summit is important in another direction also. It laid a road map for productive cooperation between member states and observers with a decision for establishing dialogue partnership with states outside the region. The declaration also had leaders unequivocally condemning terrorism and underlined the need for effective cooperation to combat it. However in a rare move Modi addressing SAARC leaders made it clear that obstructionists could lose currency which was a reference to Pakistan without naming it. Pakistan, which still refused to sign two other planned pacts to boost cross border road and rail traffic, was increasingly sidelined at the summit. The grouping’s failure to foster closer ties over the past three decades has left the way open for China to step in, by helping to build ports and roads in the region.
