On March 1-3, 2016 New Delhi hosted an international conference Raisina Dialogue, organized by the Observer Research Foundation. The event, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India, brought together more than 100 speakers from 35 countries. The Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), represented by its Deputy Program Director Timur Makhmutov, was invited to participate in panel discussions.
On March 1-3, 2016 New Delhi hosted an international conference Raisina Dialogue, organized by the Observer Research Foundation. The event, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India, brought together more than 100 speakers from 35 countries. The Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), represented by its Deputy Program Director Timur Makhmutov, was invited to participate in panel discussions.
The conference focused on identifying the place and role of South Asia, above all India, in shaping the development of the Indian Ocean region as a whole and its influence on global processes. Therefore, the organizers suggested discussing not only the issues that traditionally affect India’s interests along its borders, but the prospects for the country’s cooperation with African states and European partners as well. Special attention was paid to the functional problems of intensified India’s foreign policy activities. Projects in the energy sector and water resources were discussed too. A number of sessions and presentations dealt with security issues, including various aspects of security in the Indian Ocean and cyberspace governance.
The panel discussion on the impact of terrorism on integration initiatives and projects in South Asia has gone far beyond the region under consideration. In particular, RIAC Deputy Program Director Timur Makhmutov noted the need for anti-terrorist cooperation between Russia and India, necessitated by both countries’ interest in developing economic ties with Central Asia. Afghanistan and Pakistan should play a significant role in maintaining stability on the border between South and Central Asia. Given the specific nature of India’s relationship with the countries mentioned above, the dialogue with them could, hopefully, be promoted by their contacts within the framework of the SCO.
The experts from almost all continents (except for Central and South America) had an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the position of the Indian political elite and of the key Indian partners in the region. Addressed were delivered by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, India’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, India’s Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yasumasa Nagamine, former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, former President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, former Seychelles President James Menchem, former Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, and others.
The conference name Raisina Dialogue comes from Raisina Hill, a place in New Delhi, which is the location of government offices, and testifies to the Indian Government’s commitment to strengthening ties with the international community through public diplomacy. Development of a unifying idea or of a challenging issue that would allow India to uphold its position of the regional leader appears to be one of the overriding objectives to this end.
