Paper
Ashley J. Tellis
{
"authors": [
"Ashley J. Tellis"
],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "SAP",
"programs": [
"South Asia"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North America",
"United States",
"South Asia",
"India"
],
"topics": [
"Economy",
"Climate Change",
"Foreign Policy",
"Nuclear Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
Other
Manmohan Singh Visits Washington: Sustaining U.S.–Indian Cooperation Amid Differences
The United States and India should use Singh’s forthcoming visit to showcase the promise of bilateral cooperation and to foster enhanced partnership in key areas such as nonproliferation and climate change.
Published on Nov 18, 2009
The Obama administration should announce its support for a permanent seat for India on the United Nations Security Council during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the White House next week, contends a new policy brief by Ashley J. Tellis. Although it would produce no immediate results, the bold declaration would signal New Delhi’s growing importance to Washington, and the Obama administration’s recognition of the changing global center of gravity.
During Singh’s visit, both countries will likely announce new programs on areas ranging from agriculture and counterterrorism to medicine, energy, trade, and more. Tellis identifies two areas where cooperation will be most challenging, and most vital: nonproliferation and climate change.
Nonproliferation
- India is unlikely to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), leaving a strong possibility that even if the United States ratifies the agreement, it will never come into force.
- India’s integration into the global nonproliferation regime remains incomplete. The United States should work to integrate India into global nonproliferation institutions, including the Proliferation Security Initiative, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Australia Group, and the Zangger Committee.
- Though it shares American concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, India has not been asked to do much about the Iranian program. The Obama administration should persuade New Delhi to pressure Tehran to remain engaged in international negotiations, in hopes of achieving a peaceful resolution.
- Obama’s nuclear security summit next year will be a golden opportunity for the United States and India to collaborate on universal nuclear security standards, but New Delhi will need to overcome its misplaced anxieties about discussing its nuclear program in public.
Climate Change
- If Obama focuses on persuading Singh to commit to a binding CO2 emissions cap or a multilateral treaty, there will be little hope for cooperation on climate change. Instead, the United States and India should focus on practical initiatives to reduce emissions and improve efficiency in the realms of agriculture, transportation, and infrastructure.
- The United States should give India access to priority technologies that could reduce its emissions growth.
- India is not yet convinced that it can play an important role in combating climate change, and does not want to jeopardize its economic growth. But economic progress and sustainable development are compatible, as little-noticed programs by the Singh government have proven.
About the Author
Ashley J. Tellis
Former Senior Fellow
Ashley J. Tellis was a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- Multipolar Dreams, Bipolar Realities: India’s Great Power Future
- India Sees Opportunity in Trump’s Global Turbulence. That Could Backfire.Commentary
Ashley J. Tellis
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Europe
- The Speech Ursula von der Leyen Can’t DeliverCommentary
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is about to give her annual address on the state of the EU. Here’s what she won’t—but should—say.
Rym Momtaz
- How Europe’s 2027 Elections Could Test EU GovernanceArticle
Radical-right parties are expected to do well in upcoming elections in four of the EU's biggest member states. If successful, they could prevent the union from addressing key challenges ahead.
Stefan Lehne
- Europe Fails to Learn the Lessons from CeutaCommentary
The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.
Richard Youngs
- Taking the Pulse: Is Canada Leading a Third Way?Commentary
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has twice inspired praise for standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump: at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos and on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations. Is Carney showing a third way better than the EU has in dealing with the Trump administration?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- Europe’s Self-Confidence ProblemCommentary
The EU’s responses to two recent incidents expose the gulf between European perceptions and capabilities. Unless the union can bridge that gap, it will never become a real geostrategic power.
Rym Momtaz
