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Will Modi revive SAARC regional bloc to counter pressure from China and U.S.?
From left, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus. (Photos by Reuters)
TORU TAKAHASHI
TOKYO -- Top-level diplomacy can sometimes break deadlock in international relations and even disrupt the global order, as exemplified by U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to Ukrainian issues. His recent outburst against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, along with his increasingly conciliatory stance toward Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has prompted European Union members to develop plans to boost defense spending and "rearm" themselves.
Though much smaller in scale, high-level engagements between traditionally hostile Pakistan and Bangladesh are reshaping the regional order in South Asia.