ABSTRACT
One of the main contributions of the literature on international relations theory (IRT) is the fact that this literature helps to identify the general conditions that shape interstate conflicts and situations of war and peace in the international system. This chapter examines the role of South Asia in IRT and analyses the Indo-Pakistani rivalry as the most significant conflict in South Asia. It looks at bilateral cooperation and regional multilateralism in the form of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), specifically focusing on cooperation in the security sphere. India's centrality in global multilateral institutions and regimes has grown with the rise of India as a major economic power. Concomitantly, this rise has been transformative on the crucial role India is now playing in international institutions such as the UN, the World Trade Organization (WTO), or the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
