The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), in collaboration with the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), organised a virtual dialogue on “Strategic Visions of India-Russia Relations and Changes in the World Order” on 28 January 2022. The inaugural remarks were made by Amb. Vijay Thakur Singh, Director General, ICWA; Dr.Andrey Kortunov, Director General, RIAC, Mr. Roman Babushkin, Deputy Chief of Mission, Russian Embassy in India; and Ms. Gina Uika, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy in Russia. The Dialogue focused on global and regional strategic dynamics and bilateral priorities for India and Russia in the post-Covid world.
2. In the inaugural session, the speakers underscored the importance of the ICWA-RIAC Dialogue and commended that it brings together committed intellectuals working on India- Russia relations. The participants reiterated that India and Russia share a unique and reliable model of interstate friendship which is time tested and long standing. It was highlighted that notwithstanding the critical shifts in the world order and the ensuing global and regional challenges, India and Russia continue to engage in multifaceted cooperation. This spans across various spheres, including political and strategic, economy, energy, defence and security, science and technology and culture. Despite challenges posed by Covid-19, it was observed that the two countries maintained regular dialogue and cooperation. President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi for the 21st India-Russia Summit as well as the inaugural 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in December 2021 were cited to highlight the resilient nature of the India-Russia relationship.
3. The first session of the Dialogue focused on “Global agenda: Russia’s and India’s shared and diverging interests”. The panel was chaired by former National Security Advisory Board Chairman and former Ambassador to Russia, Amb. P.S. Raghavan. Remarks were made by Sergey Lunev, Professor at MGIMO University and Mr. Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. It was stated that as both the countries deal with a changing global scenario and their individual issues in pursuit of national interests, they have maintained an independent foreign policy course. While this has resulted in some inevitable divergences, both sides do not act in a manner that is not in the interest of the other. There is understanding and appreciation on either side of each other’s core concerns.
4. The second session delved on “India’s Indo-Pacific strategy and Russia’s vision”. Amb.Gleb Ivashentsov, Vice President at RIAC chaired the session. Padma Shri awardee Prof.Tatiana Shaumyan from the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Capt. Sarabjeet S Parmar, Executive Director at the national Maritime Foundation; Dr. Alexey Zakharov, Research Fellow at the RAS Institute of Oriental Studies; and Dr. Vivek Mishra, Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation shared their views. It was highlighted that the changing global political landscape has given fresh impetus to the Indian Ocean region and has enhanced its political and economic significance. It was emphasised that India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific is inclusive and sees Russia as an important maritime partner in the region. Encouraging prospects of cooperation on the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor, cooperation in the Russian Far East, and possible cooperation in areas such as maritime resources and maritime ecology were mentioned in the session.
5. The third session of the Dialogue focused on bilateral priorities for India-Russia in the Post-COVID world and was chaired by Prof. Anuradha M Chenoy, former Dean at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Panelists included Dr Lydia Kulik from the SKOLKOVO Institute for Emerging Markets; Mr.Nitin Pai from the Takshashila Institution, Dr.Natalia Galistcheva, MGIMO University; Mr.Amit Bhandari from the Gateway House, Dr.Anna Kireeva, Prof.D.Suba Chandran, Dean at National Institute of Advanced Studies. It was observed that the two sides need to focus on industries of tomorrow which includes new and emerging technologies to give a boost to the economic pillar of the partnership. The importance of collaboration in the Russian Far East and the Arctic was emphasised. It was noted that the cooperation needs to go beyond the government sector and private business sector engagement needed to be enhanced. The crucial role of strong people to people ties in enhancing the bilateral cooperation was highlighted.
6. The closing remarks were made by Ambassador Vijay Thakur Singh, DG, ICWA & Ambassador Gleb Ivashentsov, VP, RIAC.
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