The Department of Commerce has initiated an institutional exercise to clear sanitary, technical, and market access barriers slowing down Indian pharmaceutical exports across regional neighbors.
SAARC Facts:
Establishment & Charter: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established on December 8, 1985, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to accelerate regional socio-economic integration.
Member Architecture: Features an eight-nation membership comprising the seven founding states (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives) along with Afghanistan, which officially joined as the eighth member in 2007.
Secretariat Location: Headquartered permanently in Kathmandu, Nepal, and led by an appointed Secretary-General.
Observer Status Nations: Holds nine permanent observers, including global economies like the European Union (EU), United States (US), China, Japan, Iran, Myanmar, Australia, South Korea, and Mauritius.
Specialized Institutions: Operates through key regional structures, including the South Asian University (SAU) in India, the SAARC Development Fund (SDF) in Bhutan, and the South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) in Bangladesh.
Trade Liberalization Tool: Governed economically by the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement signed in 2004, designed to systematically eliminate customs duties and trade tariffs across borders.
Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
