Pitching for building a South Asian Union on the lines of the European Union, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that countries in the region should pool their wisdom and work to remove the roadblocks that prevent South Asia from realizing its true destiny.

Inaugurating the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute for South Asian Regional Cooperation for Peace and Development at the Pondicherry University yesterday, Dr Singh said, the events in the Euro zone should not cast a shadow over efforts at building unity and eventually a South Asian union.

Stating that a stable, prosperous and united Europe was good for the world, Dr Manmohan Singh said, the European project, has served as a guiding light to regional cooperation in the world, including South Asia.

On SAARC, the Prime Minister said, New Delhi is strongly committed to strengthening the grouping. He said India was happy that important initiatives that symbolize the idea of South Asia are taking shape.