SAARC full form is the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is a geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. It includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Six observers— United States, China, European Union, Japan, Republic of Korea, Iran.
The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was initially raised in the month of November 1980. After consultations, the foreign secretaries of the seven introduction countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—met for the primary time in Colombo in Gregorian calendar month 1981. This was followed many months later by a gathering of the Committee of the entire, that known 5 broad areas for regional cooperation. The foreign ministers, at their initial meeting in Indian capital in August 1983, adopted the Declaration on South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and formally launched the Integrated Program of Action (IPA) within the 5 united areas of cooperation: agriculture; rural development; telecommunications; meteorology; and health and population activities. Later, transport; postal services; scientific and technological cooperation; and sports, arts, and culture were added to the IPA. Afghanistan became the latest member of SAARC at the thirteenth annual summit in 2005.
