IDSA-ICRIER Joint International Seminar on Economic Co-operation for Security and Development in South Asia

Programme

Friday, March 16, 2007

0900 Registration

0930-1030 Inaugural Session

• Introductory Remarks by Shri N.S. Sisodia, Director, IDSA
• Welcome Remarks by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Director & CE, ICRIER
• Keynote Address by Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs
• Vote of Thanks by Shri Virendra Gupta, Deputy Director, IDSA

1030 Tea

1100-1330 Session I: Changing Context of Regionalism in South Asia

Chair: Shri M.K. Rasgotra, Chairman, National Security Advisory Board

• Dynamics of Rising Economies of South Asia - Prof. Abul Barkat, Dhaka University
• SAARC in the Context of Globalisation Trends - Dr. Rajiv Kumar and Dr. Aparna Sawhney, ICRIER
• Political Manifestation of Rising Aspirations - Shri Dilip Padgaonkar, noted journalist and former Editor, The Times of India
• Pluralism in South Asia - Shri Mangala Moonesinghe, Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo

Discussant: Dr. Ashok Behuria, Research Fellow, IDSA

1330-1430 Lunch

1430-1700 Session II: Infrastructure Development & Economic Co-operation

Chair: Shri Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Corporate Service Ltd., and former President, CII

• Regional Transport Corridors - Mr. Kunio Senga, DG, ADB, Philippines
  Communication Networks - Prof. Rajat Kathuria, IMI
• Energy Co-operation - Dr. Salman Zaheer, Sector Manager Energy, WB South Asia
• SAFTA - Dr. Nadeem-ul-Haq, Director, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics

Discussant: Ms. Nisha Taneja, Senior Fellow ICRIER

Saturday, March 17, 2007

1000-1230 Session III: Regional Security

Chair: Shri N.N. Vohra

• Organised Crime and Drug Trafficking - Mr. Gary Lewis, Regional Representative, UNODC
• Environmental Security in South Asia - Mr. Dasho Paljor Dorji, Deputy Minister and Advisor to the National Environment Commission, Bhutan
• Refugees and Migration - Prof. O.P. Mishra, Jadavpur University
• Terrorism - Mr. Hekmat Karzai, Director, Centre for Conflict & Peace Studies, Kabul

Discussant: Cdr. Alok Bansal, Research Fellow, IDSA

1230-1330 Lunch

1330-1600 Session IV: South Asia : The Way Ahead

Chair: Dr. Rajiv Kumar

• Primacy of economic diplomacy in fostering regional peace and development - Dr. Sreeradha Datta, Research Fellow, IDSA
• Prospects of Multilateralism - Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka
• Strengthening Civil Society - Najam Sethi, Editor, The Friday Times, Pakistan
• Building Political Consensus - Shri Kanak Mani Dixit, Editor Himal, Nepal

1600-1700 Valedictory Session

Chair: Prof. S.D. Muni

• Concluding Remarks
• Valedictory Address by Foreign Minister of Maldives
• Vote of Thanks