Frank Wisner, former American envoy to India, worried that the US may become protectionist if the economic crisis continues
Ambassador Frank G Wisner, the erstwhile US envoy to India, who for years -- as vice-chairman, external affairs for American International Group -- was the face of this global insurance conglomerate--which is now being bailed out by the US government to the tune of $150 billion -- in India and was largely responsible for pushing for New Delhi's opening up of the insurance sector to foreign investors, has quit AIG and joined the top-notch lobbying firm of Patton Boggs, which w
Claims of a spike in poverty and inequality in India during the Covid-19 pandemic are patently false as such claims are based on uncomparable different surveys, according to a paper co-authored by eminent economist Arvind Panagariya. The paper also noted that inequality fell in the country during Covid years, both in rural and urban areas as well as nationally. Panagariya, Columbia University Professor and former vice chairman of NITI Aayog and Vishal More of Intelink Advisors, New Delhi have co-authored a detailed paper 'Poverty and Inequality in India: Before and After Covid-19'.
'While the Khobragade affair has "upset and diverted attention, it does not mean there is a fundamental flaw in the US-India relationship",' former American envoy Frank Wisner tells Rediff.com's Aziz Haniffa.
Wisner said during a discussion organised by Asia Society here yesterday on the Indian elections.
Former US ambassador to India Frank G Wisner says Americans are going to confront the fact that as prime minister -- if that's where Narendra Modi ends up -- they are going to have to do business with him because the relationship with India is too important to leave it on the altar of disagreements over one man. Rediff.com's Aziz Haniffa reports from Washington, DC.
The United States has defended its decision to send former diplomat Frank Wisner to Egypt despite knowing that he worked for a lobbying group, Patton Boggs, which lobbied on behalf of the Egyptian government. Wisner was uniquely placed to deliver a 'blunt and candid private message' to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, State Department spokesman P J Crowley said. The Obama administration was quick to distance itself from Wisner's remarks at a Munich conference.
Former US Ambassador to India Frank Wisner is a happy man because he believes that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to India helped 'cross the bar' and silence the critics who were convinced that President Barack Obama's predecessor George W Bush was infinitely better for India than the current chief executive of the White House.
With business worth billions of dollars to be gained from India, American groups are working overtime to facilitate the United States' participation in the Asian powerhouse's nuclear sector, says a Washington Post report.
The diplomatic row between the United States and India over the arrest of an Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade was mishandled by both countries and it is high time to move forward and find a diplomatic resolution, two former American diplomats have said.
Former ambassador to India Frank Wisner is convinced that "the United States cannot pursue its interests in the world without cooperation with India, and India will not achieve her essential interests without cooperation with the US."
Optimism for a bright future and pride in the resurgence of India marked the 6th Annual India Business Conference of the Columbia Business School's South Asian Business Association.
Former US envoy to India Frank Wisner and industry sources expressed elation over Obama's choice of Roemer while the likes of South Asia expert Stephen P Cohen was cautious in his opinion. Some community activists were disappointed that the President had not made a high-profile nomination from the career diplomat cadres or the world of politics or business as he had for the ambassadorial posts in London and Beijing.
The midsize companies currently not present in the US, are keen in having slice of the pie.
An Asia Society task force -- working on advancing relations between India and United States -- on Friday urged the incoming Barack Obama administration to pursue deeper collaboration with New Delhi for mutual benefits on a host of global challenges raging from security and economic growth to climate change, education and tackling HIV/AIDS.
There's a strong sense inside the Democratic leadership that if you care about India, now is the time to stand up for it, says Graham Wisner, counsel at the top international lobbying firm Patton Boggs.
'India's emergence as a global voice and global point of focus comes more from her economy,' says Frank G Wisner.
The US-India Business Council on Monday termed growing ties between Washington and New Delhi as a 'catalyst' for continued economic growth, even as a former US envoy wanted the two countries to go beyond rhetoric.
The two countries that will be most affected by the internal developments in Pakistan are India and the United States, says Bob Blackwill. Aziz Haniffa reports
Acharya emphasised that the time is "really ripe" for land, labour and agricultural reforms in India.
'India is going to maintain its ties to China, India is going to develop a strong relationship with the United States. It means that India is going to have the flexibility to pick and choose its friends.' 'That's traditional Indian foreign policy, and it's smart.' Former US ambassador to India Frank Wisner, one of America's sharpest minds on South Asia, tells Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com what Washington can expect from Narendra Modi's visit.
'If Rao had, in fact, given a word to President Clinton in 1994 that India would not test, he would not have encouraged Vajpayee to test. The note, said to have been handed over to Vajpayee by Rao with the words, 'Now is the time to accomplish my unfinished task' may not have been a reference to nuclear tests at all,' says T P Sreenivasan.
'Is Trump going to play a mediating role? Can he play a mediating role? It's out of the question.' 'Kashmir is an Indian responsibility.'
'A three generation US-Pakistan relationship is not likely to be snapped any time soon. All this presents an irritant to an India that wishes to concentrate on economic development,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
If it was true that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held up the flight to Newark to ensure that Praveen Singh Pardeshi, the state principal secretary, was on board, he had at least one excuse...
'Political meetings will be a mere side show; the main show is economic investment and the business partnership. The success of Modi's US visit will be judged on the basis of India's ability to attract American investment and setting up of manufacturing in India to give jobs to millions,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Richard Rahul Verma, the first Indian American to serve as US Ambassador to New delhi, quips that surviving the first month in India is his first goal.
'India is no longer the India of the '70s and the '80s.' 'It's a large country with the fastest growing economy.' 'In working with India, you just can't go and humiliate the nation publicly.' USIBC President Mukesh Aghi tells Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com about how he advises American companies to do business with India, what he thinks of Modi's government and the way forward for the India-US relationship.
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