The Aspen Institute

The 16th Dialogue meeting in New Delhi served as a useful stocktaking exercise, one year after President Obama’s historic visit to India. The American and Indian delegates took a careful look at the progress made on the goals and initiatives announced during the President’s visit. This meeting also took a look at the shared foreign policy and security questions both countries face in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. Finally, the two groups discussed India’s potential future engagement and role in the wider world, especially in the Asia Pacific region. Outside the roundtable discussions, the American delegation paid visits to key Indian officials, such as Minister of Home Affairs P Chidambaram, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, and Minister of Finance Pranab Mukherjee. The meeting also included keynote addresses by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief of Naval Staff Nirmal Verma.