Indo-US Cooperation in Afghanistan: Moving towards Convergence

This paper seeks to identify and analyse some of the key areas of convergence of interests of India and US in Afghanistan in the existing international environment. The changed security discourse in post 9/11 period accompanied by significant structural changes in world politics provided an opportunity to both India and US to foster a durable partnership in Afghanistan to their mutual advantage. Though both the countries have taken some important initiatives in this direction, yet these steps so far have not been effectively synergized with the prevailing ground realities and desired policy coordination with other state actors in the region. This lack of coordination with other important stakeholders in Afghanistan can prove costly to both the countries in the long run.So, while responding to Trump administration’s call for an enlarged Indian presence in Afghanistan, India needs to convey this message to Washington loud and clear. The extent to which India succeeds in doing so is going to determine her regional and global status as an emerging power.

Keywords:
India, Afghanistan, United States, Cooperation, Terrorism