Eliminating Trade Barriers through Preferential Trade Agreements: Perspectives from South Asia
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Eliminating Trade Barriers through
Preferential Trade Agreements:
Perspectives from South Asia
Divesh Kaul*
[I]n the life of an individual or a nation, a good neighborhood is a universal
aspiration .... Nowhere in the world are collective efforts more urgent
than in South Asia ....
-Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi'
Self-reliance means trade, not aid.
-Former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh2
* 0 2017 Divesh Kaul. Doctoral (S.J.D.) candidate, LL.M., Tulane University Law
School, USA; M.Litt., St. Andrews University, UK (Mundus Fellow); LL.B., University of Delhi,
India. Recipient of The Hague Academy of International Law Fellowship for Public International
Law Session, 2017. Formerly, Lecturere-Gdu College of Business Studies, Royal University of
Bhutan, Bhutan. This work began with my research work at the Secretariat of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the summer of 2016. I
have immeasurable appreciation and deepest gratitude for the help and support extended by
several persons during my stay in Nepal. Ms. L. Savithri (Director, Trade and Economic
Division, SAARC) helped me with the research area and gave me an opportunity to participate as
a SAARC delegate in the Tax Treaty Seminar held in Kathmandu. Mr. Pawan Kumar Dubey
(Desk Office, Poverty Alleviation Division, SAARC) helped me through several email exchanges
even before I began my work at SAARC. During my stay in Kathmandu, Mr. Dubey inspired me
to work for the collective good of the people. Due to Mr. Dubey, being at SAARC felt like being
at home. Mr. Manzoor Riaz (Desk Officer, Trade and Economic Division, SAARC) provided
generous support to me during my stay in Nepal. Truly a gentleman and the humblest person, Mr.
Riaz introduced me to various technicalities of working at an intergovernmental association like
SAARC. Regardless of different nationalities, every time I spoke to Mr. Riaz, I felt very familial.
I also thank the SAARC library resource persons for extending all support during my daily visits
to the library. I am equally indebted to Mr. Bijay Pokhrel of Nepal Law Campus library
(Tribhuvan University, Nepal). Thanks to Mr. Saroj Ghimire (Faculty of Law, Tribhuvan
University, Nepal). I learned about the Nepalese perspective on the topic while I presented a talk
before the law students at Tribhuvan University.
I express my gratitude to Professor Guiguo Wang (Eason-Weinmann Chair of International
and Comparative Law, Tulane University Law School) for his valuable feedback on improving
this Article. My sincere thanks to Benjamin Rumph, Margaret Eder, and Kristy Christiansen for
their constructive comments.
I. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, India, Address at 2014 SAARC Summit in Nepal
(Nov. 26, 2014).
2. Interview with Manmohan Singh, Former Finance Minister, India (Feb. 6, 2001),
https://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/pdflint-manmohansingh.pdf.
355](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/tulicl25&div=17&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Eliminating Trade Barriers through Preferential Trade Agreements: Perspectives from South Asia
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