Raisina Dialogue 2022 & Delegate Visits from Other Countries

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated 7th Edition of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Delhi

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the 7th Edition of Raisina Dialogue – Raisina Dialogue 2022, which was held over three days from April 25 to April 27, 2022 in New Delhi, Delhi.

• The conference was hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, attended the conference as the Chief Guest and delivered the inaugural address.

• The theme of The Raisina Dialogue 2022 is “Terranova- Impassioned, Impatient, Imperilled”.

Other Dignitaries of the Conference:

The participants included former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, and former Australian Prime Minister Anthony Abbott.

• Abdulla Shahid, the president of the United Nations General Assembly, had given a pre-recorded message.

Foreign ministers of Argentina, Armenia, Australia (joined virtually) Guyana, Nigeria, Norway, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia had also participated in the event.

What is the Raisina Dialogue:

The Raisina Dialogue is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, committed to addressing the world’s most pressing concerns. It is named after Raisina Hill, the seat of the Government of India.

• Every year, leaders from politics, business, the media, and civil society gather in New Delhi to assess the status of the world and explore opportunities for collaboration on a multitude of contemporary matters.

The first Raisina Dialogue, with the theme “Asia: Regional and Global Connectivity,” took place in 2016 and featured over 100 speakers from over 35 nations.

The Raisina Dialogue 2022:

The Raisina Dialogue 2022 focussed on the following six thematic pillars.

i.Rethinking Democracy: Trade, Technology and Ideology
ii.End of Multilateralism: A Networked Global Order
iii. Water Caucuses: Turbulent Tides in The Indo-Pacific 
iv.Communities Inc: First Responders to Health, Development & Planet 
v.Achieving Green Transitions: Common Imperative, Diverging Realities 
vi.Samson Vs Goliath: The Persistent and Relentless Technology Wars 

Over 210 speakers from over 90 countries and international organisations spoke at the conference, which featured over 100 sessions.

• The conference also had side events that were hosted in Berlin (Germany) and Washington (United States of America).
• The Raisina Young Fellows programme was also conducted on the side-lines of this main conference.

Visit of President of the European Commission to India: April 24-25, 2022

From April 24–25, 2022, the President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, paid an official visit to India. It was her first visit to India as the President of the European Commission.

Her visit also marked the 60th anniversary of India’s diplomatic relations with the European Union (EU) in 2022.

Highlights of the Visit:
i.She called on President Ram Nath Kovind and also met with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.
ii. She paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, at Rajghat, a memorial in Delhi dedicated to him.
iii.She had also visited the TERI Gram (The Energy and Resources Institute), research and development centre of TERI in Gurugram (Haryana) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Secretariat in Gurugram.

Notable Outcomes of the Visit:
i.During bilateral talks, both sides discussed progress in executing the India-EU Roadmap 2025 and the outcomes of the India-EU Leaders’ Meeting in May 2021. 

• They welcomed the recent decision to formally resume negotiations on India-EU Trade and Investment Agreements by June 2022. 
• A decision was made to speed up the implementation of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership, which was announced in 2021, and the EU’s new Global Gateway strategy.

ii.Announcement for the establishment of an India-EU Trade and Technology Council.

India: The 2nd Country to Launch Trade and Technology Council With EU

The agreement to establish the European Union (EU)-India Trade and Technology Council makes India the world’s second country to establish such an initiative, the first being with the United States of America.

This new framework will facilitate high-level cooperation on issues like trade, technology, and security easier, as well as deepen cooperation between the EU and India in these areas.

• The Trade and Technology Council will provide the political direction and structure needed to operationalize political decisions, coordinate technical work.
• It will also report back to the political level on implementation and follow-up in areas critical to the sustainable progress of the European and Indian economies.

Polish Foreign Minister Arrives in India for Raisina Dialogue 2022

On April 25–26, 2022, Poland’s Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau, made a two-day visit to India, arriving in New Delhi, Delhi. It was the first time in nine years that a Polish foreign minister visited India.

• Highlights of the visit included his participation in the Raisina Dialogue 2022, a call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs.

Launch Of Book Celebrating Women Who Supported Their Communities Across India During The COVID-19 Pandemic

At the Raisina Dialogue 2022, a book titled “The First Responders: Women Who Led India Through The Pandemic” was launched.

• The book has been jointly published by the Reliance Foundation and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
• The book depicts the lives of women who helped their communities in India, as well as their participation in combating the COVID-19 pandemic at the grassroots level.

About European Union (EU):

The European Union (EU) is a unique economic and political union between 27 European countries.
Headquarters – Brussels,Belgium