Indian ambassador outlines improvement in relations with US at Baker Institute event

BY FRANZ BROTZEN
Rice News staff

The end of the Cold War and India’s decision to reform its economy provided a fortuitous backdrop to two decades of stronger ties between the world’s largest democracies, India’s new ambassador to the United States told a Nov. 6 audience at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

“Today, the India-U.S. relationship has evolved into a truly comprehensive partnership of mutual trust and confidence, intensifying political dialogue that is increasingly global in reach and deepening strategic understanding,” said Meera Shankar, who became India’s ambassador in Washington in April.

	GEORGE WONG
	The end of the Cold War and India’s decision to reform its economy provided a fortuitous backdrop to two decades of stronger ties between the world’s largest democracies, Meera Shankar, India’s ambassador to the United States, told a Nov. 6 audience at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

Almost from independence in 1947, India’s relations with the United States were constrained by the political calculus of the Cold War, Shankar said. The demise of the Soviet Union coincided with a major liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991 that paved the way for a new era in U.S.-Indian cooperation.

“India’s economic reforms began the process of India’s global integration, increasing India’s stakes in the international order,” Shankar explained. “This, together with the profound changes in the geopolitical landscape, provided new openings for refashioning our relationship with the United States, which has today become a key partner for India.”

Shankar spoke on “India and the United States: A Partnership for Prosperity” to a full house at the Baker Institute.

The two decades of improving relations — which have enjoyed bipartisan support in the United States, Shankar pointed out — are evident in the economic arena. Trade between India and the U.S. has doubled in the past five years alone, she said, and U.S. investment in India has been growing. But in another measure of India’s relative economic health, Indian investment in the United States has also surged, Shankar said.

While gross domestic product growth slowed in India during the current global recession, its 7.4 percent rate in 2008 would still be the envy of many countries. Shankar said India hopes to return to the 9 percent growth of previous years and will need to upgrade its energy sector to accommodate such an expansion. She insisted India is serious about dealing with the greenhouse gases that are a byproduct of the country’s economic boom, citing an “ambitious” climate change action plan that “draws from our civilizational tradition that treats nature as a sustaining force, from our contemporary needs and from our desire to be good global citizens.”

India’s continuing economic future “will depend on global peace, stability and security,” Shankar said. “And nowhere is that question of greater importance than in Asia, where the center of gravity of global opportunities and challenges of the 21st century lie.” She expressed her hope that relations with India’s longtime rival, Pakistan, would improve, and she noted India’s $1.2 billion in development assistance for Afghanistan as an example of India’s commitment to regional stability. While she didn’t foresee any security role for India in Afghanistan, she said India and the United States have a “mutual interest” in countering terrorism and extremism.

Shankar also addressed the rise of India’s technology sector and the value of higher education. She cited a proposal to establish an India-U.S. educational council that would “guide our cooperation in higher education and research.” Responding to a question on the disparity between the number of Indians studying in the United States and the number of Americans studying in India, Shankar attributed it to India’s lack of infrastructure and high demand for higher education — the opposite, she said, of the situation in the United States.

“Science and technology, education and research, enterprise and innovation are the common threads that will link our joint endeavors in the future,” she said.

Returning to the theme of economic cooperation and development, Shankar expressed confidence that the progress of the last 20 years would continue. “I do not see our partnership for prosperity merely in terms of opportunities for multiplying trade and investment, but also for finding solutions to the pressing global challenges of our time,” she concluded.