Report launch of Building Pan Asian Connectivity Conference

 

The U.S. Consulate General-Kolkata, CAGS, and the ORF hosted the Building Pan-Asian Connectivity Conference in Kolkata in March 2015 to bring together business, academic, government, and civilian experts from the United States, India, and Southeast Asia to examine the opportunities and challenges as India and its neighbours take on greater roles in the region.

 

The conference examined India’s “Act East” policy, the United States’ rebalance to Asia, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor (IPEC).  It also emphasized the need to accelerate Regional Connectivity and Regional Economic Development Corridors in order to better develop India’s ties with South and Southeast Asia and assess United States’ role. 

 

Launching the book, U.S. Consul General Craig Hall said, “As India's global role grows, its connections with regional neighbors and with Southeast Asia will expand.  The United States fully supports the increased connectivity.  Towards that end, the U.S. Department of State sponsored a Building Pan-Asian Connectivity conference in Kolkata in March 2015.  An outcome of the conference is the timely and helpful collection of papers Heading East:  Security, Trade, and Environment between India and Southeast Asia.  It assesses the challenges and opportunities for building bridges between India and Southeast Asia and points the way towards more robust relationships that will define the future of the Asia-Pacific region.”

 

Professor Ganguly remarked, “This edited volume has brought together a substantial group of highly-regarded academics, policy practitioners and analysts from North America, South Asia and South East Asia to discuss matters related to trade, connectivity and security issues involving India’s northeast and South East Asia. The chapters in this volume also provide critical, up-to-date assessments of India’s Act East policy. It should be of considerable interest to academics, journalists and policymakers interested in these subjects.’

 

Public Affairs Officer Andrew Posner welcomed the guests.

 

 

Images: Souvik Das/IBNS