US should discuss Afghanistan with India: Cohen
By IANSThursday, October 28, 2010
NEW DELHI - US President Barack Obama’s visit to India should include discussions between the two governments over Afghanistan, strategic affairs expert Stephen Cohen said here Thursday.
“My hope that discussions will include Afghanistan, even if they are not made public,” said Cohen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, delivering a lecture here on “US-India relations: Setting the stage for President Obama”.
He said the US should try to bring together India and Pakistan in Afghanistan as both have a common goal. “Even Pakistan does not want a radicalized Afghanistan, as it will affect them too,” he said.
He believed that Obama could make some kind of announcement on India’s aspiration for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.
Cohen believed that there could be easing of restrictions on high-technology exports from India as well as further cooperation on terrorism.
Obama arrives in Mumbai Nov 6 and later travels to New Delhi on a four-day India visit.
