Mumbai-born Ashley Tellis is new advisor to Burns

In the run-up to US President George W. Bush’s visit to India, Mumbai-born strategic affairs analyst Ashley J. Tellis has been appointed senior advisor to US Under Secretary of State, Nicholas Burns. Tellis, who has been appointed for a period of two months, will advise Burns on issues related to the Indo-US relationship.

A leading policy researcher on international security , Tellis has previously served in the US State Department as senior advisor to the US Ambassador to India. He has also been on the US National Security Council and is at present with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

An expert in non-proliferation, US foreign policy, South Asia and China, Tellis is a ‘‘strong supporter’’ of the Indo-US nuclear agreement. Among his publications are: India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture and Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy: Past, Present and Future.