남아시아자유협정(SAFTA, South Asian Free Trade Agreement)의 발효는 남아시아 지역통합 움직임에 활력을 불러 넣었다. 이 글은 SAFTA발효과정과 주요내용을 간단히 살펴보고 인도 중심교역구조를 중심으로 SAFTA의 문제점을 알아보았다. 특히 이 논문은 2006년 1월 1일 발효된 SAFTA 발전에 대한 인도의 역할을 집중 분석하였다. 분석결과 향후 SAFTA발전은 카쉬미르와 같은 지역내 정치적 갈등에 대해 실용적이고 포용적인 인도의 역할에 달려있다. 남아시아지역협력체(SAARC, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) 국가들이 계속해서 경제를 자유화하고 대외무역 장벽을 제거하는 것이 중요하다. 지역 내에서 패쇄 경제가 지속되고 대외무역장벽이 높을 경우 SAFTA는 심각한 위험에 직면할 수 있다. 이와 관련하여 인도는 여타 남아시아 국가들이 자극을 받을 수 있도록 국내차원은 물론 양자간, 다자간 차원에서도 자국의 경제를 지속적으로 자유화해나가야 할 것이다. 이는 SAFTA를 강화시키는데 기여할 것이다. SAFTA성공은 또한 아마도 최우선적으로 해결해야 될 자유무역지역 발효에 필수적인 교통통합과 같은 지역인프라통합이 요구되어진다. SAFTA발전을 위해 인도는 이 분야에 대해서도 자국의 영토를 통해 역내 인적, 물적 교류가 자유롭게 이동할 수 있도록 중요한 역할을 해야 한다

The operationalisation of South Asian Free Trade Agreement(SAFTA) imparted a major thrust to the movement for regional integration in South Asia. This paper starts with a brief explanation of the process of SAFTA operationalisation and the major contents of SAFTA. And then, the study examines the problems of SAFTA with special reference to Indo-centric trade structure in South Asia. Specially, the article analyses the role of India in promoting regional cooperation in SAFTA which has just started in January 1, 2006. The paper concludes that the development of SAFTA will depend upon the role of India in pragmatic and accommodative manner in interconnected political conflicts like Kashmir dispute. It is also important that SAARC member countries continue to liberalize their economy in general and external trade barriers in particular. So long as the closed economies in the region are continued and the external trade barriers of the nations are high, the risk of SAFTA remains serious. In this respect, India must liberalize its economy continuously not only on domestic level but also both on a bilateral basis and multilateral context for giving a stimulation to the other countries in South Asia. This in turn implies the strengthening of SAFTA. Success of SAFTA will also require integration of regional infrastructure, especially transport integration which is perhaps the most urgent since it is integral to the operationalisation of a free trade area. In this part also, India must have a great role to play in facilitating cross-border movement of people and goods through her own land for the development of SAFTA.

The operationalisation of South Asian Free Trade Agreement(SAFTA) imparted a major thrust to the movement for regional integration in South Asia. This paper starts with a brief explanation of the process of SAFTA operationalisation and the major contents of SAFTA. And then, the study examines the problems of SAFTA with special reference to Indo-centric trade structure in South Asia. Specially, the article analyses the role of India in promoting regional cooperation in SAFTA which has just started in January 1, 2006. The paper concludes that the development of SAFTA will depend upon the role of India in pragmatic and accommodative manner in interconnected political conflicts like Kashmir dispute. It is also important that SAARC member countries continue to liberalize their economy in general and external trade barriers in particular. So long as the closed economies in the region are continued and the external trade barriers of the nations are high, the risk of SAFTA remains serious. In this respect, India must liberalize its economy continuously not only on domestic level but also both on a bilateral basis and multilateral context for giving a stimulation to the other countries in South Asia. This in turn implies the strengthening of SAFTA. Success of SAFTA will also require integration of regional infrastructure, especially transport integration which is perhaps the most urgent since it is integral to the operationalisation of a free trade area. In this part also, India must have a great role to play in facilitating cross-border movement of people and goods through her own land for the development of SAFTA.

SAFTA, SAARC, free trade, India