Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress, with a keynote by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, announced the launch of India: 2020—a program of CAP’s National Security and International Policy team. India: 2020 will examine short- and long-term policy priorities for every aspect of the U.S.-India strategic partnership with a focus on concrete recommendations that can be achieved by 2020.
In a widely attended event, Secretary Kerry highlighted the need for greater cooperation between the United States and India ahead of the fifth U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in Delhi this week.
“CAP has continued to prove that good ideas are still the most important currency in our political debate,” Secretary Kerry said in his address. “That is a principle that has also guided CAP’s work on foreign policy, especially in convening track II – the first intensive climate change dialogue between the United States and India. India: 2020 builds on that success by showing how the United States and India together can tackle global challenges, from security in the Asia-Pacific, to providing clean energy, to delivering more inclusive growth.”
CAP also announced the members of the India: 2020 Advisory Council made up of former senior officials from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, Indian American business leaders, and South Asia scholars.
“I want to thank Secretary Kerry for his remarks at CAP that have helped to launch India: 2020 and for his long-time leadership on the need for a growing relationship between the United States and India,” said CAP President Neera Tanden. “The Center for American Progress has a unique opportunity and responsibility to anticipate and shape foreign policy debates on India and the greater South Asia region. With India: 2020 and the wisdom of our distinguished advisory council, CAP will help chart a new and ambitious course for the U.S.-India partnership.”
By using 2020 as a benchmark, CAP will anticipate and provide regional analysis and forward-looking policy recommendations in an effort to deepen the partnership with India through trade and investment, defense cooperation, a strategic dialogue for bilateral cooperation, and citizen exchange.
Over the past two years, CAP has organized a series of events on India, with accompanying publications, with participants including Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, and a side-by-side presentation from U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell and the Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Nirupama Rao.
India: 2020 seeks to build and expand upon this strong foundation of existing work on South Asia by CAP and analyze why the gap exists between the current realities and hopes for the relationship.
Members of the advisory council will be:
Dr. Ashton Carter, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense
Swadesh Chatterjee, Padma Bhushan recipient, Member of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians
Vishakha Desai, President Emeritus of the Asia Society and Special Advisor for Global Affairs to the President and Professor at Columbia University
Shekar Narasimhan, Commissioner, White House Initiative of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Nancy Powell, Former U.S. Ambassador to India
Tim Roemer, Former U.S. Ambassador to India
Frank Wisner, Former U.S. Ambassador to India
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