As South Asian leaders gather in Kathmandu this week for the 18th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), there is growing expectation for the discussions to result in stronger economic and energy connectivity in the region and opportunity for enhanced regional collaboration on a host of other areas. While it is too early to tell what agreements will be forged at the SAARC summit, such a focus is long overdue in a region that continues to be one of the least connected in terms of interregional trade. The United States firmly believes that increased regional economic connectivity within South Asia, as well as with other parts of Asia, can bolster economic…