Latest news with #SPaulKapur
India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Meet Paul Kapur: A Pak critic, Trump's Indian-origin South Asia pick
Indian-American academic and strategic affairs expert S Paul Kapur, who has been nominated by the Donald Trump administration for the position of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, is a firm backer of strong ties between India and the confirmed, Delhi-born Kapur will become the second US diplomat of Indian descent to oversee the South Asia bureau. A professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, Kapur is a harsh critic of Pakistan. Notably, Kapur is also an expert on India-Pakistan security and nuclear the key South Asian Affairs role, Kapur would be tasked with managing diplomatic ties with India and its neighbourhood, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. During his nomination hearing before a Senate committee on Tuesday, Kapur said he couldn't "avoid the feeling of having come full circle". Kapur also shared that he grew up in the US as a thoroughly American kid. He added, he had never imagined that his career would one day bring him back to the place of his birth, a feeling which, he says, is of "having come full circle".The Trump administration had nominated Kapur in February for the post, after Donald Lu completed his term in January this the nomination hearing, Kapur emphasised the importance of a robust US-India relationship in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is not dominated by VOWS TO STRENGTHEN US-INDIA TIES, PROMOTE FREE INDO-PACIFIC REGIONadvertisementDuring his nomination hearing, Kapur also pledged to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership and also mentioned his Indian roots."The US and India share a host of common interests: ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is not dominated by China; expanding bilateral trade, building our economic relationship so that it is more symmetrical and profitable; facilitating technology sharing and innovation; and ensuring access to the energy necessary to fuel our economies," he said."If confirmed, I will work to further advance US-India relations and put our partnership on course to realise its tremendous promise," he added."Appearing before you, I can't avoid the feeling of having come full circle. I was born in New Delhi, to an Indian father and an American mother. Although I visited India often during my childhood, I grew up in the United States as a thoroughly American kid, never imagining that my career would someday return me to the place where I was born," he also said. Referring to the recent India-Pakistan military conflict, Kapur said, "South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict, with the Vice President and Secretary Rubio intensely engaged on the issue. If confirmed, I will continue to promote longstanding US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability, and the fight against terrorism (sic)."advertisement"If confirmed, I will pursue security cooperation with Pakistan where it is in America's interest, while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment," he IS S PAUL KAPUR?Kapur was part of the US State Department's policy planning team on South Asia during Trump's first term as President between 2020 and is an accomplished scholar and author of several books specialising in South Asian is also a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Previously, he taught at Claremont McKenna College and was a visiting professor at Stanford University, according to his bio on the Naval College research and teaching interests include "the international security environment in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, nuclear weapons proliferation, deterrence, and Islamist militancy", according to Kapur's profile on the ORF, the New Delhi-based the notable books Kapur has authored are 'Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamist Militancy', 'National Security and the Pakistani State and Dangerous Deterrent: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia'.The Indian-American is involved in consultancy and engagement initiatives for the US Department of Defence and also participates in the US-India Track 1.5 dialogue focused on defence earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and holds a BA from Amherst College, Massachusetts, US.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Paul Kapur, Trump's nominee for key South Asian Affairs role, vows to advance India-US ties in trade, tech at Senate hearing
While the next US Ambassador to India is yet to be named, Indian-American S Paul Kapur is President Donald Trump's nominee for the position of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, a top diplomatic position wherein he will oversee America's intersections with India and its neighbourhood — including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. If confirmed, Kapur will step into the shoes of Donald Lu, who completed his term in January this year, holding charge of one of the most complex, sensitive, and volatile regions in the world. For the Indian establishment, though, which is continuously looking to expand and strengthen its ties with the US in critical areas such as defence, technology and science, and is on the cusp of signing a bilateral trade agreement, Kapur will become a key interlocutor. The US also banks on India to offset China's dominance in the Indo-Pacific. So it may be pertinent that on June 10, during his nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kapur began by touching upon his Indian roots and also laid out the India-US partnership agenda. 'If confirmed, I will work to further advance US-India relations and put our partnership on course to realise its tremendous promise,' he said. 'The United States and India share a host of common interests: ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is not dominated by China; expanding bilateral trade, building our economic relationship so that it is more symmetrical and profitable; facilitating technology sharing and innovation; and ensuring access to the energy necessary to fuel our economies,' Kapur added. Stating that he could not 'avoid the feeling of having come full circle', Kapur — born in New Delhi to an Indian father and an American mother — said he grew up in the US as 'a thoroughly American kid', never imagining that my career would someday return me to the place where I was born. 'Appearing before this committee today really does return me to my beginning,' he stated. Referring to the recent India-Pakistan hostilities, Kapur said, 'South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict, with the Vice President (JD Vance) and Secretary (Marco) Rubio intensely engaged on the issue. If confirmed, I will continue to promote longstanding US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability, and the fight against terrorism.' On Pakistan specifically, he said that he would pursue security cooperation 'where beneficial to US interests, while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment'. In the presence of his wife and three of his five children, Kapur said during the hearing that he visited India often during his childhood but became interested in studying the region in graduate school and has worked on it (the region) as a scholar and as a government official. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan are important for stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Kapur said at the hearing, adding that Sri Lanka and Maldives are located along major oceanic trade routes, while Bangladesh boasts the largest economy in the region after India. 'If confirmed, I will advocate for enhanced US cooperation with these nations to bolster our security, counterbalance China's influence, and expand trade,' he said. On Afghanistan, he said he would support President Trump and Secretary Rubio in bringing home 'the remaining detained Americans', adding that he will work to ensure that the country never again becomes a launching pad for terrorism threatening the homeland. Kapur has written several books and articles about South Asia's security environment and US policy in the region, taught military officers about the region, led US-India strategic engagement projects, and has covered South and Central Asia on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
