Moving Up Looking East

the long version

"The World Bank South Asia economic update 2010: moving up, looking east is the World Bank's comprehensive annual report on the region's economies. In this first edition, the Bank finds that South Asia's strong rebound since March 2009 is comparable to that in East Asia. Government policy, external support, resumption of private spending, and the global recovery are driving the rebound. robust and timely policy interventions were, and continue to be, key to confidence and recovery. South Asia's particular strengths and forms of global integration -- not the lack of it -- were the main factors that allowed greater resilience. as a special topic, the report examines and recommends three principal directions to reposition South Asia's trade and investment integration policies and profitably in the context of a "new normal" after this crisis. The recommendations are to (i) intensify integration with East Asia, South Asia's fastest growing and natural trade partner; (ii) accelerate trade and investment and reduce the border barriers between countries in the region; and (iii) preserve links with traditional developed countries and other emerging markets in an open regionalism framework."--p. 4 of cover.