South Asia Center

Politically, Afghanistan is at a critical juncture. As the United States deliberates how it will continue to engage with the nation, the pressure is mounting on its regional partners to step up and help stabilize the country for the sake of their own interests as well as those of the Afghan people.

Bangladesh has undergone significant economic and social change since gaining independence in 1971, and is today one of the fastest growing countries worldwide. Despite its impressive achievements, Bangladesh continues to confront challenges including providing livelihoods for its youthful and growing population.

India has the strongest economy in the South Asian region, with rapid industrialization and growth in its services sector turning it into a global investment hub, although it continues to rely heavily on its agricultural sector. India must also navigate difficult relations with its neighbors, including Pakistan and China.

It has been hard for Pakistan to achieve strong economic growth over the years, but it still provides opportunities for private sector investors. Security remains a primary concern for Pakistan, as the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan and tensions with its eastern neighbor India persist.

Between fall 2020 and summer 2021, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center will host a set off private, high-level strategic dialogues to develop and advocate for a longer-term strategic outlook for ensuring stability in Afghanistan as well as maintaining US and European counter-terrorism interests. This effort will look beyond the US elections, recognizing that a political consensus is emerging to support a drawdown in US security commitments, but no such consensus exists on the long-term relationship with Afghanistan.

This working group will take a political-economic approach in its examination of US-India trade relations. It will begin by developing a shared understanding of existing formal and informal governmental relationships that drive current trade positions and negotiation, and will critically examine the political and economic incentives. It will then identify and consider potential agreements with mutual benefit and limited areas of disagreement that may be pursued to facilitate trust, as well as policy tools available to the United States and India.