The Aspen Institute

Following Secretary Clinton’s recent visit to India, the Aspen Strategy Group’s U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue convened in Washington D.C. from May 11-13th, 2012 for the 17th Session on the bilateral relationship. The high-level Indian delegation included representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of External Affairs, members of Parliament, academics, journalists and industry leaders. On May 11th, the Indian delegation met with a variety of senior U.S. officials—Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey; Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Holl Lute; and Under Secretary of State William Burns—to discuss shared strategic interests between the U.S. and India in the context of President Obama’s recent ‘pivot’ to Asia. These meetings were followed by two days of roundtable sessions in which participants gathered for an Aspen-style informal and off-the-record discussion that addressed key outstanding issues in the U.S.-India bilateral relationship: the defense relationship, export controls, Afghanistan and Pakistan, China and Iran. The session served as a critical inspection of these key issues that will continue to bear an ever-greater influence on the strength of the U.S.-India relationship. The Aspen strategy Group, in collaboration with Aspen India, has used the Dialogue to ensure the continued regional and global relevance of the U.S.-India relationship.