(a) The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a major regional initiative by the South Asian States to evolve cooperation through multilateral means. It began in 1985 SAARC members signed the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) in 2004 which promised the formation of a free trade zone for the whole of South Asia.
(b) A new chapter of peace and cooperation might evolve in South Asia if all the countries in the region allow free trade across the borders.
