South Asia

South Asia

South Asia is home to over 1.8 billion people and the largest youth population in the world. It includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. As one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, it serves as a strong economic link between the East and the West. South Asia’s strong global connections make it a zone of opportunity for businesses and governments engaging in infrastructure development, trade, and economic development.

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Germany and Italy to keep up to 1,350 soldiers in Afghanistan

Issue Brief
Apr 1, 2025

Rescuing Pakistan’s economy

By
Aasim M. Husain

For decades, Pakistan has struggled with a declining standard of living, skyrocketing public debt, and economic policies that have failed to address the root causes of its stagnation.

Economy & Business
Middle East

Germany and Italy to keep up to 1,350 soldiers in Afghanistan

New Atlanticist
Mar 25, 2025

Starlink’s India launch is a crash course on New Delhi’s approach to tech sovereignty

By
Trisha Ray

A recently announced partnership to deploy the Elon Musk-led company’s satellite internet in India offers a window into New Delhi’s “hybrid” approach.

Economy & Business
India

Germany and Italy to keep up to 1,350 soldiers in Afghanistan

New Atlanticist
Feb 19, 2025

Why India and Armenia are now taking their relationship to new heights

By
Tatevik Khachatryan, Srujan Palkar

The growing military and diplomatic cooperation between New Delhi and Yerevan benefits both beyond immediate defense concerns.

Economy & Business
India

Programs

The South Asia Center is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.

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Content

Italian soldier with Afghan National Police, March 15, 2013

NATOSource

Nov 19, 2014

Germany and Italy to keep up to 1,350 soldiers in Afghanistan

By Reuters

Germany and Italy plan to keep a total of up to 1,350 soldiers in Afghanistan in 2015 to help train local armed forces, their defense ministries said on Tuesday, a slightly larger contingent than had been previously expected.

Afghanistan Germany

Webcasts

Nov 12, 2014

Perspectives from Pakistan’s Changemakers

By Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council cordially invites you to attend the event, “Perspectives from Pakistan’s Changemakers,” on November 12, 2014 from 4:00p.m. to 5:15 p.m.. featuring the South Asia Center’s 2014 Emerging Leaders of Pakistan Fellows.

Pakistan

In the News

Nov 7, 2014

Rakisits: The State of Terror

By Claude Rakisits

South Asia Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Claude Rakisits writes for Foreign Policy’s South Asia Channel on terrorism in Pakistan: 

Pakistan

SouthAsiaSource

Nov 7, 2014

Nobel Peace Prize: For Less Than Noble Reasons

By Mohan Guruswamy

This Year’s Award to a Pakistani and an Indian Reminds Us That the Peace Prize Often Serves a Broad Agenda It’s been a couple of weeks since the Norwegian choices for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 were announced. The little excitement this elicited in India and Pakistan has mostly died down. With good reason […]

India Pakistan
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Nov. 6, 2014

NATOSource

Nov 6, 2014

Secretary general: NATO ready to begin new support mission in Afghanistan

By Jens Stoltenberg, NATO

NATO and our partners have stood with Afghanistan for more than a decade. The ISAF mission brought together 50 nations – the largest coalition in recent history.

Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force

Defense Industrialist

Nov 4, 2014

A Phalanx of Pashto-Speaking Armed Intellectuals

By James Hasik

 What makes us think our militaries have the human and organizational capital for counterinsurgency?   “Counterinsurgency,” John Nagl commented the other day, “can’t be dead as long as insurgency is alive and well — and it is, and is likely to be for some time.” Indeed we may find ourselves, as former Chief of the Australian Army Peter […]

Afghanistan Iraq

SouthAsiaSource

Oct 31, 2014

This Week in South Asia: October 25-31

By Elijah Logsdon and Refayat Haque

Pakistan The Pakistan army announced the success of its four-month long campaign to wipe out militants in the North Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan. The offensive, initiated in June, has claimed the lives of around 1,100 militants. According the army, the campaign has resulted in the reduction of terrorist attacks in the country. Army’s spokesperson Major […]

Afghanistan India

Event Recap

Oct 31, 2014

Conference: Bangladesh in Focus

By Atlantic Council

On October 1, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center hosted a two-panel discussion on Bangladesh. Panelists Amb. William Milam, Senior Scholar, Asia Program, Wilson Center; Amb. Teresita Schaffer, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, The India Project, Brookings Institution; and Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Muniruzzaman, President, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies discussed the new political […]

South Asia

Event Recap

Oct 31, 2014

Building strong and sustained US-Pakistan Relationship

By Atlantic Council

On October 14, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia hosted US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel Feldman and Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani for a briefing on the state of US-Pakistan relations. The briefing was a part of the US-Pakistan Conference, a track II effort to produce a continuous […]

Pakistan

Event Recap

Oct 31, 2014

Atlantic Council hosts Inaugural US-Pakistan Conference

By Atlantic Council

On 14-15 October 2014, the Atlantic Council hosted the inaugural United States Pakistan Conference, a high level track 2 convening of leadership from political, military, business and civil society fields from the United States and Pakistan, to discuss common challenges ahead in the US Pakistan relationship and to search for practicable solutions. Despite the shared […]

Pakistan
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Experts

Fellow

Grace Abuhamad

Former Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Digital Policy Internet

Fellow

Elliot Ackerman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Policy

Fellow

Paul Amato

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Missile Defense Nuclear Deterrence

Fellow

Peter Arvo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

China Human Rights

Staff

Rayhan Asat

Senior Legal & Policy Advisor, China Lead

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Central Asia China

Fellow

Kyle Atwell

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Colombia
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