The European Union and South Asia

The European Union (EU) has emerged as the largest trading partner of most South Asian countries and a major contributor of developmental aid to the region. Scholars critically view the objectives and effects of the EU’s development cooperation and economic and foreign policy towards the South Asian region. They probe crucial issues such as the official EU policy vis-à-vis Kashmir and the EU-India strategic partnership in detail delving into its nature and prospects. The emphasis is on EU’s involvement with promotion of democracy in the region. They explore the role of the EU with respect to the countries of the region: its involvement in crisis management in Afghanistan since the US invasion of that country, its involvement in resolution of conflict in Sri Lanka, EU-Nepal bilateral relations vis-à-vis education, democracy and peace-building, and challenges faced by the South Asian diaspora in the UK.