{"id":11303,"date":"2026-04-17T07:02:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T07:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wnp.com.pk\/?p=11303"},"modified":"2026-04-17T07:02:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T07:02:33","slug":"trust-deficit-hindering-south-asias-economic-integration-says-dar-at-antalya-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/trust-deficit-hindering-south-asias-economic-integration-says-dar-at-antalya-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"Trust deficit hindering South Asia\u2019s economic integration, says Dar at Antalya Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>ANTALYA, Friday, April 17, 2026 (WNP): ADeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said South Asia\u2019s vast economic potential remains largely untapped due to a persistent trust deficit, calling for enhanced cooperation to unlock shared growth opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing a panel titled \u201cTrading Trust: The Future of Economic Integration and Stability in South Asia\u201d at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Dar emphasized the need for increased trade, improved connectivity and stronger people-to-people linkages across the region.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11305\" src=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92mb0AA2xWu.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92mb0AA2xWu.jpg 680w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92mb0AA2xWu-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92mb0AA2xWu-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92mb0AA2xWu-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>He noted that despite significant potential, South Asia continues to be one of the least economically integrated regions in the world, primarily due to a lack of mutual trust among countries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Highlighting the broader regional environment, the foreign minister said ongoing conflicts and tensions have disrupted energy supply chains, creating ripple effects across economies. He added that these disruptions are affecting not only energy security but also food security, inflation and overall economic stability.<\/p>\n<p>Dar expressed hope that resolution of these challenges would pave the way for sustainable progress and regional stability.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11306\" src=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK93gaMAAWHm1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK93gaMAAWHm1.jpg 680w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK93gaMAAWHm1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK93gaMAAWHm1-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Underscoring the importance of multilateralism, he stressed adherence to international frameworks and the need to strengthen cooperative regional mechanisms. In this regard, he highlighted the role of organizations such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the United Nations.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>He also reiterated the importance of resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions to achieve lasting peace in the region.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Reaffirming Pakistan\u2019s stance, Dar said the country remains committed to dialogue, international law and inclusive development as the foundation for a stable and economically integrated South Asia.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11307\" src=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92gbUAAtOsp.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92gbUAAtOsp.jpg 680w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92gbUAAtOsp-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92gbUAAtOsp-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/HGIK92gbUAAtOsp-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ANTALYA, Friday, April 17, 2026 (WNP): ADeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said South Asia\u2019s vast economic potential remains largely untapped due to a persistent trust deficit, calling for enhanced cooperation to unlock shared growth opportunities. Addressing a panel titled \u201cTrading Trust: The Future of Economic Integration and Stability in South [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,65,54],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11303","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diplomatic-missions","8":"category-foreign-missions","9":"category-middle-east"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}