India’s premier foreign policy conference- ‘The Raisina Dialogue’ being hosted from April 25 to April 27 comes as a huge opportunity for those interested in a wide range of geo-political and geo-economic issues confronting the global community. 290 leaders from 90 counties are participating in this mega event held every year in New Delhi, where top people from politics, business, media, academia and civil society converge to discuss and deliberate a wide range of contemporary and pressing global issues ranging from democracy to technology to global health and securities exploring opportunities for close cooperation.
The Observer Research Foundation hosts the event
Hosted by one of the top think tanks of country- ‘The Observer Research Foundation’ in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, the event is also amply supported by a number of intellectual institutions, organisations and individuals, who are committed to the mission of bringing in positive and constructive changes to the larger society.
Event involves multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral discussion
The event is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion that involves heads of state, cabinet ministers, local government officials, academicians, students, journalists, politicians, researchers and scholars, who are either interested in or working on international relations, global securities, Indian foreign policy and other related and relevant issues.
Organised on the lines of Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue
The Raisina Dialogue is organized on the lines of the Shangri-La Dialogue held on regular interval in Singapore and takes its name from the Raisina Hills, often used as a metonym for the seat of the Government of India, housing country’s most important government buildings including Rashtrapati Bhavan and the secretariat building housing the Prime Minister’s Office and several other important ministries. Raisina Hills are also surrounded by the Parliament of India, Rajpath and India Gate.
The event has 100 sessions
Being inaugurated by the PM Narendra Modi, the event is going to have around 100 sessions along with the side events being hosted in Washington and Berlin. According to Arindam Bagchi, Raisina young fellows programme will also be conducted on the sidelines of this main conference. Last year, owing to Covid-19 pandemic, the dialogue was held virtually, but this seventh edition of the conference is being held in person format.
The president of the European Commission attends the inaugural session
The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is joining the inaugural session of the event as chief guest. The event is also being attended by former PM of Sweden Carl Bildt, former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former Australian PM Anthony Abbott along with several top officials of different countries.
