With Moscow becoming one of India’s top oil suppliers amidst a challenging international environment, all eyes are on how the India-Russia partnership will unfold in the future. India-Russia trade, which hovered around $8 billion for many years, has now touched an all-time high of over $30 billion. Trade is growing despite increasing western pressure on India to downgrade and limit ties with Moscow. Against this backdrop, India Writes Network, in collaboration with India and The World magazine-journal and Centre for Global India Insights (CGII), have organised a conference on February 6 in New Delhi to mark the 30th anniversary of the India-Russia Friendship Treaty and to map the future trajectory of the India-Russia partnership.
Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov will be keynote speaker at the conference, entitled “Next Steps in India-Russia Strategic Partnership: Old Friends, New Horizons.” The panel discussion features veteran diplomats and scholars as speakers. They include:
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Amb. Kanwal Sibal, India’s former Foreign Secretary & Former Ambassador to Russia
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Amb. Pankaj Saran, Convenor, NatSat, Former Deputy National Security Adviser. Former Ambassador to Russia
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Dr Ivan Nosov, CEO, Sberbank India
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Amb. Smita Purushottam, Former Ambassador to Switzerland & Venezuela
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Dr Tatiana Shaumyan, Head, Center of Indian Studies, Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Padma Shree Awardee
The conference will be moderated by Manish Chand, CEO, India Writes Network and Director, Centre for Global India Insights, a think tank focused on global affairs. “This discussion on the future of India-Russia partnership is urgent and timely as some cynics are raising questions about this crucial relationship in the wake of New Delhi’s stance on the Ukraine crisis. India has made it clear that it’s not ready to compromise its relationship with Russia, a time-tested friend and valued strategic partner,” said Mr Chand.
“Russia is not only the biggest supplier of defence equipment, but has also emerged as a top supplier of oil and hence crucial to energy security,” said Mr Chand. 
The conference will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the India-Russia Friendship Treaty, the successor treaty to the landmark 1971 friendship treaty that forms the bedrock of multi-faceted relations between the two strategic partners. The panel discussion will also explore prospects of enhancing India-Russia cooperation in multilateral organisations such as G20, BRICS and SCO.
