Indian diplomats conclude study tour to US

A team of three Indian diplomats sent to US to enhance the understanding of most important and current public policy issues and to strengthen India-US ties have concluded their month long trip.
Sponsored by Asia Foundation, the team comprising of Ninad Deshpande, Under secretary (China) East Asia Division, Binoy George, Under secretary, Europe West Division and Sumit Seth, Undersecretary, External Publicity & Public Diplomacy, attended a two-week course, 'US Foreign Policy in a Global Era', at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, held from June 2 through June 13.
This was followed by an Asia Foundation-organised observation program to several diverse locales in the United States - New York City, Nebraska, Louisiana, and the San Francisco Bay Area, a media released said yesterday.

"The tour, held from June 14 to June 29, focused on current events and key issues such as climate change and immigration in the 2014 elections, as well as implications for US-India bilateral relations," the Asia Foundation said.
According to the Foundation, the program, now in its eighth year, aimed to enhance understanding of the most important and current public policy issues in the United States, while deepening familiarity of the American social, cultural and economic context.
The Foundation's support of the diplomats' participation in both the observation program and the summer course is intended to foster dialogue between Indians and Americans, it said.