On October 12–13, 2017, Moscow hosted international conference “Strategic Visions of Russia-India Relations and Changes in the World Order”, organized by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
Over two days over 120 representatives of Russian and Indian state bodies, business circles, expert community, and media attended the event. The conference was marked by the high representation of the Indian delegation, that included 15 diplomats and experts from the leading analytical centers of India. The event was also attended by representatives of the Indian community in Russia.
The conference agenda included topics such as cooperation between Russia and India in global governance, multilateral organizations and infrastructure initiatives, regional security, relations with neighboring countries and countries of the West, as well as Russian-Indian economic, military-technical, and humanitarian bonds.
On October 12–13, 2017, Moscow hosted international conference “Strategic Visions of Russia-India Relations and Changes in the World Order”, organized by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
Over two days over 120 representatives of Russian and Indian state bodies, business circles, expert community, and media attended the event. The conference was marked by the high representation of the Indian delegation, that included 15 diplomats and experts from the leading analytical centers of India. The event was also attended by representatives of the Indian community in Russia.
The conference agenda included topics such as cooperation between Russia and India in global governance, multilateral organizations and infrastructure initiatives, regional security, relations with neighboring countries and countries of the West, as well as Russian-Indian economic, military-technical, and humanitarian bonds.
Igor Ivanov, President of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia (1998–2004), Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Igor Morgulov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia; Pankaj Saran, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Russia; and Nalin Surie, Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), made welcoming speeches at the opening of the event.
Sessions "Russia and India on Changing Geopolitical Landscape: Common Interests, Threats, and Long-Term Trends", "Russian and Indian Policies in the East: Strategic Interests and Common Challenges», and "Russian and Indian Policies in the West" were held on the first day of the conference. RIAC and VIF report "70th Anniversary of Russia-India Relations: New Horizons of Privileged Partnership" was presented at the conference.
Sessions "Meeting Global Economic Challenges and Russia-India Bilateral Agenda" and "Role of Education, Culture, and Media Collaboration in Russia–India Partnership" were held on October 13.
During the first session, the participants discussed successful Russia and India joint projects in military-technical cooperation and energy, and underscored the need to develop new areas of interaction, promote private initiatives and joint ventures, and create favorable investment climate. The speakers paid special attention to the development of India's relations with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the participation of the two countries in infrastructure projects, in particular, in the North-South International Transport Corridor.
After the section, a presentation of RIAC–Gateway House Policy Brief “Russia–India Energy Cooperation: Trade, Joint Projects, and New Areas” was held.
Participants in the session "Role of Humanitarian Cooperation in Russia–India Partnership" stressed that the links between Russia and India in the sphere of education, culture and the media are presently insufficient, and called for the development of fundamentally new approaches to humanitarian interaction. At the same time, speakers noted that strengthening economic cooperation will be the stimulus for the development of direct contacts between Russian and Indian societies.
The speakers of the second conference day included Vyacheslav Trubnikov, Member of the Board of Director of Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations of RAS, General of the Army, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia, Advisor to President of Irkut Corporation, Vice President of RIAC; Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Presidential Envoy of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation, Ambassador-at-Large, Member of RIAC; Andrey Klepach, Deputy Chairman (Chief Economist) – Member of the Board of Vnesheconombank, Member of RIAC; Timur Makhmutov, Deputy Director of Programs at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC); Anup K. Mugdal, Former Ambassador of India; Talyat Aliev, Deputy Director at the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Energy of Russia; Igor Pletnev, Deputy Head of the First Department on Military- Technical Cooperation with Foreign States of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation; Stanislav Georgievsky, Deputy Director of the Department for Trade Policy of Eurasian Economic Commission; Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director of Gateway House; and other leading representatives of academic and educational institutions of the two countries.
The results of the conference were summarized by Andrey Kortunov, Director General, member of RIAC Presidium, and Nalin Surie, ICWA Director General. The parties expressed hope to continue a substantive and genuine exchange of opinions between Russian and Indian experts and hold such meetings on a regular basis.
