India is on the brink of a crucial general election as Pakistan’s government – the first to experience a transfer of power from one civilian regime to another – prepares to mark a year in office. There is growing recognition that the two countries must move beyond historical differences and push the bilateral forward through an accelerated economic engagement.
On April 29, Gateway House hosted Abdul Basit, the new High Commissioner of Pakistan to India, to discuss the economic opportunities and political challenges of this critical relationship. The discussion was moderated by Neelam Deo, Director, Gateway House.
Abdul Basit (Foreign Service of Pakistan, 1982) is a distinguished diplomat. He has served in Pakistani missions in Moscow, London, Sana’a, Geneva and London, and was Pakistan’s Ambassador to Germany from 2012 till his appointment to New Delhi this year.
Neelam Deo is Director at Gateway House, prior to which she served as a Consul General in New York. She has been the Indian Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast with concurrent accreditation to several West African countries. She has served in Indian embassies in Washington D.C, Bangkok and Rome. During her assignments in the Ministry of External Affairs, she was Joint Secretary for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives.
Gateway House meetings are for members and special invitees only, and they are off-the-record and not-for-attribution. If you are interested in becoming a member, click here for more details.