Programme of the Valdai Club’s Indian-Russian Conference in Partnership with Observer Research Foundation (ORF): Indian-Russian Relations in the New Strategic Context
Valdai Discussion Club Conference Hall, Bolshaya Tatarskaya 42, Moscow, Russia

Programme  of the Valdai Club’s Indian-Russian Conference in Partnership with Observer Research Foundation (ORF): Indian-Russian Relations in the New Strategic Context 

Moscow, April 9, 2019


10:30 – 12:00 Opening Remarks. Panel session: The New Geostrategic Context as Seen from New Delhi and Moscow 

The international system is going through a period of intense reformatting of the strategic context. The new global environment shaped by the United States’ changing global policy, the strategic failure of Europe, the rise of new players – China and India, Russia’s return to the fore in international politics and diplomacy requires a thorough rethinking. Moscow and New Delhi are important players on the Greater Eurasian space and their opinion is crucial for tackling the key issues of regional and global development. The goal of the session is to juxtapose the views of Russian and Indian experts on the key trends in the changing geostrategic context. 

12:15 – 13:45 Session 2. Sanctions and Trade Wars: How to Address Them? 

Sanctions and trade wars are new factors of international relations. They are likely to become an integral part of the future world and will impact both the global economy and bilateral economic relations, including between Russia and India. This is why it is crucial to discuss the role of this factor today and in the future, to understand how Russia and India can address it. 


15:00 – 16:30 Session 3. Redefining Eurasia - Managing the Supercontinent

The expansion of multilateral cooperation is the principal vector of international relations in Eurasia, but at the same time it faces numerous obstacles. Such entities as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union can constitute the regional institutional backbone. Building on the existing practices, this session aims at comparing the views of Russian and Indian experts on the future of Eurasia and understanding what spheres are the most important for advancing multilateral cooperation. 

16:45 – 18:15 Session 4. Bilateral trade and Economic Cooperation, Investment

India and Russia are tied by a long history of friendly, confidential, and mutually beneficial relations. Since the 1970s they have traded in national currencies. Today, their bilateral relations develop in a fundamentally new strategic context. All in all, Russia and India should rethink their relations amid the global changes. The goal of the session is to estimate the existing potential of bilateral relations and to determine how they should advance their interaction in trade and investment spheres.

18:15 – 19:00 Final Round-Up Press Conference