Question

Which of the following is NOT a member of SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement)?

• A. Maldives
• B. Pakistan
• C. Sri Lanka
• D. Myanmar

Hint:

Always remember: \textbf{SAFTA members = SAARC members}. Any country outside SAARC is automatically excluded from SAFTA.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understand what SAFTA is.
SAFTA stands for South Asian Free Trade Agreement.
It is a trade agreement among the member countries of SAARC.
The objective of SAFTA is to promote and enhance mutual trade and economic cooperation among South Asian nations.
Step 2: List the member countries of SAFTA.
The SAFTA member countries are:
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Afghanistan.
Step 3: Analyse option (A) — Maldives.
Maldives is a member of SAARC.
Since SAFTA is an agreement among SAARC nations, Maldives is also a member of SAFTA.
Therefore, option (A) is incorrect.
Step 4: Analyse option (B) — Pakistan.
Pakistan is one of the founding members of SAARC.
It is also a signatory country of the SAFTA agreement.
Hence, option (B) is incorrect.
Step 5: Analyse option (C) — Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is a South Asian country and a member of SAARC.
It actively participates in SAFTA to promote regional trade.
Thus, option (C) is incorrect.
Step 6: Analyse option (D) — Myanmar.
Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country.
It is not a member of SAARC.
Therefore, Myanmar is not a signatory to the SAFTA agreement.
Hence, option (D) is correct.
Step 7: Final conclusion.
Among the given options, Myanmar is NOT a member of SAFTA.
Therefore, the correct answer is (D).