Abstract
Regional cooperation worldwide has not only succeeded, but also is irreversible. It is a part of globalisation, though there are limits beyond which it cannot go. So, there is a general acceptance of the present state system that disputes will not ordinarily be settled by force, that borders will not be changed, and commitment to greater integration will increase. In South Asia, regional cooperation has been a non-starter and is confined to summits and declarations. But public demand for cooperation and an expansion of contacts is growing. In response, the smaller neighbours of India do not want to open up while India itself has followed a negative policy. Relations with Bhutan and the Maldives, and now increasingly Sri Lanka, are exceptions. Even in terms of India-Pakistan relations, which are on a different plane, there are promising developments.
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