November 16, 2009 Bridging Nations Conference

Expectations of the Upcoming Summit between President Barack Obama and PM Manmohan Singh

Bridging Nations, along with co-sponsors the Asia Society, George Washington University, CSIS, and the Confederation of Indian Industry, hosted a conference and discussion event yesterday which included speeches and a discussion panel on the topic of the upcoming summit between President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Dr. Prakash Ambegaonkar, Founder and CEO of Bridging Nations, kicked off the conference with a short speech on the need to move past tired clichés and to intensify the collaboration between the United States and India. The former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the US, Amb. Devinda Subsinghe, followed with an introduction of the featured speakers.

The first speaker was the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Robert O. Blake Jr., who stressed the warmth and friendliness of the current US-India relationship. He stated that the current administration was committed to strengthening this relationship further, and that he expected much progress to be achieved during PM Singh’s November 24 visit to Washington.

The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of India, Ambassador Arun K. Singh, who had previously served as India’s Ambassador to Israel, echoed many of the Assistant Secretary’s remarks regarding the closeness of the ties between the two countries. He listed twenty points where US-India cooperation is and will continue to be necessary and beneficial, among them healthcare, food security, renewable energy, high technology, education, and trade.

A period of Question and Answer followed these two speeches, wherein members of the audience asked Asst. Sec. Blake and Ambassador Singh a number of questions about US-India relations and PM Singh’s upcoming visit. These questions pertained to foreign policy issues such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as economic matters and PM Singh’s itinerary.

In the second half of the event program, a discussion panel was held with three participants. The first to speak was Dr. Jonah Blank, the Chief Policy Advisor for South Asia, Central Asia, and Archipelagic Southeast Asia for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (Majority). Dr. Blank argued that the real improvements in US-India relations would come not from politicians in Washington and New Delhi, but rather from people across society. He stressed the need not to settle for a “B+” relationship, to strive to achieve an “A+”.

The second of the three panelists to speak was Professor Raja Mohan, a leading analyst of Indian foreign policy. Professor Mohan laid out possible areas of increased collaboration between the US and India, including ventures relating to outer space.

The final panelist to speak was Mr. Ted Jones, the Director of Policy Advocacy and Business Development at the US-India Business Council. Mr. Jones discussed the economic and commercial implications of a nuclear energy deal between the two countries. He also discussed prospects for increased cooperation on matters of trade.

Prime Minister Singh is scheduled to attend a state dinner at the White House on November 24. We eagerly look forward to seeing the outcome of his meeting with President Obama.

We at Bridging Nations graciously thank Assistant Secretary Blake, Ambassador Singh, Dr. Blank, Professor Mohan, and Mr. Jones for their engaging and informative participation in this event. Likewise, we thank all of those who came to attend.

For more information about this event or future events, please contact us at:
info@bridgingnations.org