New Delhi: ) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said improving connectivity in South Asia was given emphasis during last five years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this will be “top priority” under the new dispensation too.

“This is a subject (connectivity in South Asia) which got enough attention in last five years and I am very confident this will be among our top priority in next five years,” Dr Jaishankar said here at a conference organised under the theme ‘Changing World, Changing India’.

Dr Jaishankar maintained that connectivity in the region remained neglected in South Asia for long and there were reasons for that.

He said by and large, all South Asian countries understand the importance of connectivity and things are not like the way it was 20 years ago.

In this context, he said it is true the primary responsibility is with India and it is because “we are the largest economy”.

He said while it is true the world is undergoing changes always, things are very sharp and complex now unlike even recent past.

In modern times, he said the globalisation has come under stress and people are falling back upon nationalism.

While in South Asia, nationalism is linked to confidence, elsewhere in some other parts of the world, it is also due to insecurity.