India has huge role to play in Silk Road's success: Grossman

WASHINGTON: India has an important role to play in the success of the New Silk Road, a concept being pushed by the US government to boost trade and business between South and Central Asia, a former US official has said.


"It means the economic success of India, Central Asian producers into Indian markets and vice versa with Afghanistan and Pakistan in the center," said Mark Grossman, the former Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"I think India has a huge and important role to play in the success of the New Silk Road. It is trying to connect Central Asian economies with South Asian economies" " he said Monday in his address to the Brookings Institute, a Washington-based eminent American think-tank.

The concept was introduced by former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her visit to India back in 2010.

Praising India's role in Afghanistan, Grossman said both New Delhi and Islamabad needs to work together.

"India can be part of this larger effort to have a secure, stable, prosperous Afghanistan inside of a secure, stable, prosperous region.

And look what India's doing today. For example, there is some training of Afghan security forces that takes place in India. I think that's a really important thing," he said.

"When I was the special representative, we supported that. Indian investment in Afghanistan is substantial, and I think that's important. India has pledged a long-term economic assistance to Afghanistan. That's also important," Grossman said in response to a question.