Just as the world seeks to generate momentum towards global nuclear disarmament, Pakistan and India continue to expand their nuclear arsenals and missile capabilities. Both officially base their doctrine on the concept of minimum deterrence but maintain that this is a dynamic concept and thus that expansion of their programs remains legitimate. The growth of Pakistan and India's nuclear programs has led many to fear a nuclear arms race in the South Asian region. The future also holds the possibility of an Indo-Pak rivalry in space. All this has direct impact on stability in the region.

On the twelfth anniversary of the Indian nuclear tests of 1998, USIP organized an event to discuss a new book addressing these issues. "South Asia at a Crossroads: Conflict or Cooperation in the Age of Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense, and Space Rivalries" is an edited volume which introduces these topics to a broader audience with the hope that they will become a part of the public discourse in the future. The book is a collection of essays by influential academics, policy analysts, diplomats, and current and former government officials from Asia, Europe and America. The edited volume is part of a series called "Democracy, Security, Peace" published by Nomos.

Speakers

• Subrata Ghoshroy
  Research Associate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Co-Editor of "South Asia at a Crossroads: Conflict or Cooperation in the Age of Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense, and Space Rivalries."
• Goetz Nueneck
  Deputy Director of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy and Co-Editor of "South Asia at a Crossroads: Conflict or Cooperation in the Age of Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense, and Space Rivalries."
• Michael Krepon
  Co-Founder, Stimson Center
• Daryl Kimball
  Executive Director, Arms Control Association
• Moeed Yusuf
  South Asia Adviser, U.S. Institute of Peace