Indian Council of World Affairs

Our MoU with MGIMO was renewed last year (3 February 2024). This is our first meeting since the renewal and it is good that we were able to have fruitful discussions today. 

It is clear from our discussions that India-Russia relations have a solid foundation based on a shared understanding of each other’s perspectives. We are looking forward to President Putin’s visit. This will be no ordinary visit. Given the geopolitical churn being witnessed, and despite the rising conflicts, tense situations, and the polarizing rhetoric in the world today, we hope that this visit will be able to arrive at outcomes that will add a semblance of reason, predictability and direction not only to India-Russia relations alone but to India-Russia relations as a factor of regional and global stability. 

While India pursues multi-aligned foreign relations, it is also conscious of the resilience of the India-Russia ties which is evident in the space that we give to one another. 

Discussions on multipolarity today showed both convergences and nuances in our positions. We both believe that multipolarity will contribute to greater stability and predictability to international relations and that it is the way forward. However, for Russia, multipolarity is also about the receding power of the US, de-americanizing the international order; the global governance institutions, and enhancing its own position as a major pole. For India, a multipolar world order is about distributed power, distributed responsibilities to maintain the international order. It is more about shared responsibilities and duties than about influence. Of course, we also see a multipolar world order as being conducive to our own rise and growth. 

An important point that emerged in the discussions was the importance to foreground social considerations related to issues like structure of family, demography, migration, health, education in narratives surrounding a world in transition. We agreed that the New World Order is not only going to be about geo-politics or geo-economic but also equally, if not more, about social transformation. 

Discussions on Eurasia were note-worthy. Russia is a great power contributing to the security, stability and prosperity of the Eurasian region through bilateral relationships and through engagement in multilateral foras in which Russia enjoys a leading role. India’s Eurasian engagement is growing, including through multilateral organizations, but faces severe challenges from threats like terrorism and radicalization in Af-Pak region and lack of overland connectivity. Both sides agreed that India-Russia partnership is a key pillar of their respective Eurasian outlooks. 

We exchanged views on reformed multilateralism. The importance of renewing the agendas of regional bodies like SCO and CICA was emphasized. Strengthening India’s association with EAEU was discussed. India’s forthcoming Presidency of BRICS was discussed as also possible avenues of India-Russia cooperation in this context. 

Perspectives on the situation in Indo-Pacific were exchanged. View was expressed that preparations are underway for a future conflict situation in this theatre. The nuclear dimension is gaining prominence. US-China rivalry is sharpening and military-political instability is expected. The situation necessitates cooperation among powers other than US and China. India-Russia cooperation in traditional maritime security and also in combating non-traditional challenges to maritime security like piracy, IUU fishing, was highlighted in this context to contribute to good order at sea. Maritime Domain Awareness as an area of cooperation was discussed. 

Both sides reaffirmed their faith in mutually agreed agreements to guide state behavior and inter-state relations, in entering into confidence building measures, and in having shared interpretations of international law and in keeping the room open for these despite the severe fractures in the world today. 

I would like to end by saying that our discussions today reaffirmed the importance to each other of our traditionally close and friendly relations as well as the keen interest in taking this relationship steadily forward in traditional as well as in new and emerging areas of cooperation and amidst intense regional and global geopolitical turbulence.

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