Promoting regional integration in South Asia is a must for countries in the bloc to become part of the global value chain, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit has said.
"Politics often trumps economics in the region, " Basit said hinting at the turbulent relations between India and Pakistan.
To get out of it we need to be more realistic, he added.
The Pakistan High Commissioner was speaking at an interactive session organised by industry body Assocham on Monday.
"If India rises, the whole region will rise," Basit said.
To promote SAARC agenda, it is important to create level playing fields and interdependencies, he said.