Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration : COMESA EU SAARC

Contents: Preface. 1. Regionalism in the world economy. 2. Growth of regional cooperation and integration in Africa. 3. A case study of COMESA. 4. European Union: a model for regional integration. 5. Economic partnership agreements. 6. European Union-Africa: towards true partnership. 7. European Union-COMESA relations: country-wise analysis. 8. Regional Cooperation and Integration in South Asia: experience of SAARC. 9. India-Africa: partners for all seasons. 10. India-COMESA relations: exploring South-South Cooperation. 11. Conclusions. Appendices: 1. COMESA treaty: (text of important articles). 2. The Lome convention. 3. The Cotonou agreement at a glance. 4. Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). 5. European Development Fund (EDF). Bibliography. Index.

"Prompted by the uncertain outcome of the GATT/Uruguay Round negotiations, regional agreements mushroomed in different parts of the world. The collapse of the Soviet Union gave a renewed impulse to economic interactions at the expense of political and strategic preoccupations. Inter-regional co-operation reduces economic and social fragmentation created by national frontiers and hence facilitates integrated development of the participating states. In Africa, as in other parts of the world, regional co-operation is a major factor in internal and international politics.

This book focuses on the regional co-operation efforts in the three continents of the world, viz. Africa, Asia and Europe and their role in promoting and strengthening African capacities. It examines various dimensions of regional co-operation with focus on bilateral relations between a community of highly developed states (European Union) and a group of developing countries, viz. COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa). The latter part of the book focuses on inter-regional co-operation between South Asian countries, particularly India, and COMESA. These two regions of the world share a common colonial legacy and are striving to improve the socio-economic conditions of their people. Inter-regional cooperation and integration is a vital necessity in a world witnessing trade liberalisation, foreign investments and reduced role of governments in economic affairs." (jacket)