The Russian-Indian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club, organized in partnership with the Vivekananda International Foundation, will be held in Moscow from January 27, 2025. The goal of the upcoming conference is to objectively assess the key challenges for Russia and India in various regions of the world and the dynamics of bilateral relations. The main focus of the agenda of the Russian-Indian conference will be on security in the modern world. However, this topic is no longer limited to the military-political dimension; it will be considered in a broader sense, including the security of financial transactions, as well as energy and food security.
Programme of the Russia-India Conference
of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Vivekananda International Foundation
“Russia and India: Perspectives on Security in Eurasia and Bilateral Relations”
Moscow, January 27, 2025
January 27, Monday
09:30 – 10:00 Opening of the conference (LIVE: Russian, English)
10:00 – 12:00 Session 1. Hotbeds of Instability and International Security Challenges
The current security situation remains challenging. The erosion of strategic stability continues. The European security system is undergoing a protracted crisis, with the Ukrainian conflict acting as its core. The transition of power in Syria brings the conflicts in the Middle East back to the agenda. The competition between China and the United States in Asia is escalating. Does the combined effect of hotbeds of instability produce a new quality of the international environment or are we dealing with the usual anarchy of international relations? How do Moscow and New Delhi envision the challenges to international security?
12:30 – 14:00 Session 2. Eurasian Security System, Benefits and Risks of Technology and Pairing Integration Initiatives: Moscow and New Delhi Perspectives
During the 22nd Russia-India Annual Summit “Russia-India: Strong and Expanding Partnership” in July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to bolster joint efforts to build an equal and indivisible regional security landscape and intensify consultations on pairing the potential of integration and development initiatives in Greater Eurasia. Both leaders also stressed the need to forge new technological and investment partnerships, especially in advanced high-technology areas and find new avenues and forms of cooperation. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward an initiative to create and develop a Eurasian security system. What are the characteristics and features of such a system? What opportunities and challenges do the Russian and Indian sides see in the pairing of various integration initiatives? What results can be reached with minimal effort, and which will require long-term investments? What role do emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, play in shaping the military and economic strategies of nations, and how can India and Russia cooperate to enhance their capabilities in this domain?
15:00 – 16:30 Session 3. Russian-Indian Relations: Economy First!
One of the main achievements of Russian-Indian relations over the past two years has been the rapid intensification of trade and economic ties. The priorities were set out in the Joint Statement of the leaders of the Russian Federation and the Republic of India on the development of strategic areas of Russian-Indian economic cooperation. The scale of tasks brings these ties beyond purely bilateral relations, generating convergent regional and global effects. Cooperation in developing the North-South transport corridor, establishing a reliable system of financial payments, resolving problems of food and energy security concern many stakeholders, produce a cumulative effect, and are constructive and creative in nature. What results have Russia and India managed to achieve in the economy amid severe geopolitical conditions? How can these results remain sustainable?
16:50 – 17:50 Special Briefing. The US Elections Outcome: Impact on Situation in Europe, Middle East, South Asia and Northeast Asia
The change of administration in the United States raises a range of questions about its influence on the situation in different regions of the world. Does it open up opportunities for a resolution of the situation in Ukraine? Will there be an escalation in the US-China relations? Will the US remain a guardian of security for its allies in the Middle East? What do the US elections mean for Russia and India? These and other questions will be discussed in the format of a briefing by Russian international scholars.
17:50 – 18:10 Closing of the Conference