NEW DELHI 2005 POLITICAL REPORTING OFFICERS'

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006803

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV APER ASEC ECON ETRD IN ABUD AMGT US
SUBJECT: NEW DELHI 2005 POLITICAL REPORTING OFFICERS'
CONFERENCE


1. (U) As previewed in recent e-mails to addressee posts,
Embassy New Delhi is pleased to host the second annual
Political Reporting Officers' Conference, September 29, 2005
in New Delhi. The event, for which we hope to attract
participation from both India constituent posts and India's
neighbors, is intended to take a serious look at our
reporting and outreach priorities, and at the same time
provide an occasion for strengthening communication networks
among those working on South Asian issues.


2. (U) The conference will begin with a morning session for
Americans and FSNs focused on Indian domestic politics and
the challenges we face in doing our jobs and will include a
lunchtime keynote speaker. The afternoon session will be an
Americans-only focused discussion on foreign policy and
India's regional relationships (for which we hope to have
speakers from a number of other missions in the area). The
formal program will conclude with a front office session
focused on management priorities. Following the conference,
there will be a Political Counselor-hosted reception that
will include Delhi luminaries drawn from the strategic
community.


3. (U) The administrative coordinator for the event is POL
OMS Myrta Browne. Those interested in participating in the
conference should confirm their attendance as soon as
possible. She can be reached via e-mail (brownem@state.gov)
or on 91-11-2419-8710. POLOFF Adam Stone is the point of
contact for any suggestions relating to program content. He
can be reached via e-mail (stoneac@state.gov) or at
91-11-2419-8119.


4. (U) There will be no conference fee beyond the cost of
lunch. For those coming from outside Delhi who may wish to
keep travel costs down, options will be available for
accommodations within the Embassy community. Each officer
coming from outside India will be assigned a control officer
who will put together a program of meetings before or after
the conference with relevant Delhi-based interlocutors.
Please note Embassy New Delhi cannot fund participants'
travel.


5. (SBU) Following is an initial list of themes we expect to
discuss. A final program, including issues for discussion,
will be sent to all participants prior to the conference via
e-mail.

--What are the implications of improved Indo-U.S. relations
for the region?

--What are the implications of the improved Indo-U.S.
relationship on Indo-China relations?

--What are India's expectations from the U.S. toward
terrorism and unrest emanating from Pakistan, Kashmir, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh?

--What are India's priorities in Central Asia?

--What more can we do with India to advance our common
interests in the Gulf?

--What is the effect of Indo-Pak obsession on the region? Are
we ignoring other South Asian challenges? Does India, its
bureaucracy, and its military put itself at risk by obsessing
about Pakistan to the detriment of its policies towards
Nepal, Bangladesh, and China?

--Is India's prosperity assured or could there be setbacks in
the coming years?

--What is the impact of India's frustrated quest for a UN
Security Council seat on its foreign policy? How will it
respond to setbacks to marshal support for a new effort, or
what will it do to bolster its world stage presence to
justify its seat?

--SAARC: What are India's priorities at the November 2005
conference? What is the outlook for SAFTA implementation
January 2006? Is SAARC effective and will it improve India's
relations on a bilateral level?

--Energy: What are India's priorities and chances for
regional cooperation? Will countries be able to cooperate on
initiatives such as gas from Bangladesh, Burmese pipeline
through Bangladesh to India, power from Bhutan to Bangladesh,
electricity from Nepal? What is the feasibility of the Iran
pipeline?

--What are the implications of continued Congress leadership
on regional politics? Is Sonia assuming a larger role in
foreign policy? What are the implications of her increased
interest in Indian foreign policy?

--How can we leverage India's initiatives for development and
security in Afghanistan, including the Democracy Initiative?

--How to shift India's agnostic position toward Iran
(terrorism, nuclear, pipeline)?

--Implications for India of the situation in Nepal and the
Maoist Insurgency?

--Miscellaneous: Especially from the FSN point of view, are
there any suggestions for improving USG approaches to
particular problem areas? Has the USG missed the mark on
anything in India or in India's relations with its region?


6. (U) Embassy New Delhi looks forward to fruitful
discussions on September 29 with our colleagues from around
the region.

MULFORD