Sri Lanka, July 17 -- This announcement came against the backdrop of optimism expressed by the Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Colombo that South Asia's oldest regional organisation is still alive and could become a vibrant institution of regional cooperation once again.

Most analysts, however, believe that SAARC exists mostly on paper, as major activities are deadlocked because the SAARC summit has not been held since 2014. In the fast-changing world of international politics, a regional organisation that cannot bring its leaders together for more than a decade cannot claim to be functioning normally.

Yet, the organisation has not disappeared. Its Secretary-General and several membe...