Overview
- Testifying to a House subcommittee on Feb. 11, Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur set priorities that include expanded trade ties, deeper defense cooperation, targeted investment, and support for a free and open regional order.
- He pointed to recent steps in the U.S.–India relationship, citing a new Trump–Modi trade framework, a renewed 10-year defense agreement, the TRUST initiative, and Indian purchases of U.S. drones and liquefied natural gas.
- Kapur described Pakistan as another important partner, highlighting cooperative plans on critical minerals using U.S. seed financing and private expertise, expanding trade in energy and agriculture, and ongoing counterterrorism coordination.
- He emphasized continued work with India through platforms such as the Quad and noted potential new U.S. arms sales to bolster India’s security, without providing specifics.
- Kapur warned that domination of South Asia by a hostile power could create coercive leverage over the global economy, underscoring the case for sustained U.S. engagement across the region.