Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 02/2014

Benefits of Regional Integration: What Sri Lanka Can Learn From Poland

Patryk Kugiel, Shari Cooray, Thileni Wickramaratne

September 2013

The Polish Institute of International Affairs

Abstract

Although Poland and Sri Lanka are distant and differ significantly, a comparison of their experiences with regional cooperation reveals a few interesting observations. Poland's accession to the EU proves the economic and political benefits of deeper integration, may mitigate fears of marginalisation and domination by regional hegemons, and can disperse concerns over lost sovereignty. The EU integration model and the Polish experience could serve as an inspiration for Sri Lanka and other members of SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and encourage them to revive their own integration process.