Paul Kapur, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for the key role of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday for his nomination hearing, where he outlined the relationships and opportunities the United States would engage in, including with Pakistan, if confirmed for the position.

 

Commenting on Pakistan, Trump’s Indian-origin nominee stated his plan to pursue security cooperation where it is beneficial to US interests while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration "in trade and investment”.

 

Regarding India, he remarked that Washington, DC and New Delhi share a "host of common interests", including ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region that is "not dominated by China", expanding bilateral trade, and building an economic relationship that is "more symmetrical and more profitable".

 

Terming the US relationships with South and Central Asian countries as ones that “hold great promise”, Kapur said that with effective policy, the region can flourish and enable the US to achieve Secretary Rubio’s goal of making the country safer, stronger, and more prosperous.

 

He commended the role of US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their engagement in avoiding what he called “a costly conflict”, alluding to last month’s military and diplomatic standoff between Islamabad and New Delhi following the Pahalgam incident on April 22.

 

“If confirmed, I will continue to promote long-standing US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability and the fight against terrorism,” he remarked.

 

Declaring Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan “important for stability in the Indo-Pacific region”, the US president's nominee said that he will advocate for enhanced US cooperation with these countries to bolster country security, “counterbalance China’s influence”, and expand trade.

 

Commenting on Afghanistan, Kapur said that, if successfully appointed, he will support President Trump and Secretary Rubio in bringing home wrongly detained Americans. 

 

“I also will work to ensure that the country never again becomes a springboard for terrorism threatening the homeland,” he added.

 

On Central Asia, he stressed that the US seeks to advance the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of regional states, adding, “If confirmed, I will leverage the C5 plus1 process as well as bilateral formats and pursue cooperation in areas including energy, critical minerals, counterterrorism, the fight against transnational crime, and the development of physical and digital infrastructure.”

 

The opportunities in South and Central Asia that I’ve just outlined hold tremendous promise. If confirmed, I will pursue them energetically to realise their potential to enhance the safety, strength, and prosperity of the American people."

 

Security expert and author Paul Kapur was nominated by President Donald Trump for the position of Assistant Secretary of State in February this year. If his nomination is confirmed, Kapur would succeed Donald Lu, who completed his term on January 17, 2025.