Hosting the conference in India represents a significant milestone in the Valdai Club's efforts to engage with India. This development was set in motion with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Valdai Club and the Vivekananda Foundation on October 1, 2023, during the 20th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.
In the past, experts from India were regular participants in Valdai Club events, just as Russian Valdai experts were invited to forums in India. However, this time, the club will be visiting its partners at the Vivekananda Foundation for the first time as an organisation. The upcoming bilateral conference will delve into the precarious state of modern international relations and explore various perspectives on a potential future world order. This exchange with our Indian partners is particularly significant considering India's recent success in hosting the G20 summit in September 2023 in New Delhi, as well as Russia's upcoming chairmanship of BRICS.
The work program for the Russian-Indian Conference, co-organised by the Valdai Club and the Vivekananda Foundation, is scheduled for one day. It aims to foster open discussions, provide an opportunity to meet with representatives from the National Security Advisory Council, and feature an opening session along with two thematic sessions. Here, experts will engage in meaningful discourse on the following key topics:
Trends in the transformation of the world order (multipolarity, regional and international security, sanctions);
Bilateral relations between Russia and India. The Vivekananda International Foundation is a New Delhi-based think tank formed by leading Indian security experts, diplomats and philanthropists. Its goal is to develop innovative approaches to India's security and well-being, enabling it to play a significance role in global affairs.