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President Clinton arrives in South Asia at a time of important economic change in the region.
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are opening up their once inward-looking economies and encouraging foreign investors to come in.
Highs and lows |
Positives
High growth rates
Tariffs lowered
Large markets
Negatives
Health, education
Infrastructure
Administration
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While the President's visit will be dominated by political issues, officials say he should also use his talks with Asian leaders to fashion a new set of bilateral relationships that give greater attention to economic interests and trade.
Poverty barrier
The World Bank says that over the past decade, South Asia has been second only to East Asia in world growth rates, with India seeing growth well above 6% last year.
At the same time, severe poverty remains the daily reality for millions of people in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
 Pakistani brokers work the phone lines
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It says that these remain barriers to further progress.
The underlying problem, says the World Bank is poor governance and administration.
Corruption is widespread, while in Pakistan there are the additional constraints of a politicised judiciary, an unskilled civil service and a severe difficulty in implementing the rule of law.
Programmes
The World Bank says that it is optimistic that its programme for institution building, improvements in public health and education for girls will be effective in helping to eradicate poverty.
 Children at an outdoor school
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Analysts in Washington say that President Clinton will encourage political leaders in the region to stick with their reform programmes.
He will also use his visit to alert American companies to the size and value of the South Asia market, which is forecast to become one of the largest in the world in the next few years.
Reform success
World Bank officials said economic reform programmes were making a difference.
In India, it says that average tariffs have fallen by over 70% since the government began the liberalisation process in 1991.
 Expectations are high
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Similar figures are found in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The bank also says that despite the questions over the seizure of power by General Musharraf in Pakistan, it recognises the high quality of the new economic team and looks forward to working with it.
Bank officials single out the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh as initiating the boldest series of reforms.
They say its now succeeded in attracting large amounts of foreign investment which in turn has generated high growth rates.
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