India urges faster economic integration of South Asia

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Describing South Asia as one of the fastest growing sub-regions in the world, India on Friday called for its faster economic integration.

"We should strengthen economic links while dealing with politics in the best way we can," National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon said while inaugurating the third edition of the Asian Relations Conference here.

Menon pointed out that despite the traditional narrative of pessimism, intra-SAARC trade has doubled in the past five years.

It's time to seize the opportunity to transforming South Asia, he said. "The costs of not doing business with each other have risen. There is a much wider realisation of the costs," said Menon.

Over 30 scholars and experts are participating in the two-day conference, which has been organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs and the Association of Asian Scholars.