The ex-diplomat, in response to a question, however, said he would feel "very disappointed" if one were to reimagine the geography of India and forget Pakistan.
"India and Pakistan have different narratives on various issues, be it the Partition, the 1965 Indo-Pak war, the Kargil war, and well their (Pakistani) narratives are absolutely bunkum. And therefore I do not see any grand reconciliation taking place between the two countries," Saran said.
Saran, however, suggested that even in times of heightened tension "keeping more doors open" for greater people-to-people contact and trade would benefit India.
Replying to a question on the role of the SAARC, he said, it is today "more important for India" than any other country.
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He said SAARC was the "only vehicle" which India had for bringing about the kind of economic integration that it was committed to and that without it any hope of playing an effective regional or global role would not mean anything.
"But if that becomes a constant constraining factor and if your are constantly involved in trying to deal with crises operating in your neighbourhood, most of the oxygen you have is taken away by Pakistan....how much you have left for doing other things," he said.
Saran was speaking at an interaction here hosted by think-tank ORF on his new book -- "How India Sees The World: Kautilya To The 21st Century".
The former diplomat while sharing his experiences also expressed his views on the diplomacy practised in the country over the decades in the context of Nepal and Bhutan.
In India's foreign policy, he said, neighbourhood enjoys the highest priority, "but, you are not putting the human resources, the economic resources, that you actually need to manage that".
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