Record Number of Foreign Ministers to Attend India’s Premier Foreign policy Dialogue

New Delhi: Foreign Ministers from 13 countries, including Russia, Iran and Australia, would attend the Raisina Dialogue 2020, the fifth edition of the annual geo-political and geo-economic summit, which will begin in the Indian Capital on 14 January.

The three-day event, co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and Observer Research Foundation, will also see the participation of many deputy foreign ministers, former Prime Ministers, former Presidents, national security advisors, military chiefs and other high level policy-makers, scholars and officials.

Over 180 delegates from 105 countries are taking part in this edition, themed ‘21@20: Navigating the Alpha Century’. In all, the conference will see 116 speakers.

Besides, hosts’ Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, the other foreign ministers participating in this year’s conference are from Russia, Iran, Australia, Maldives, South Africa, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Denmark, Hungary, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and ex-Prime Ministers of Sweden, Republic of Korea, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and Bhutan are also participating in the conference.

Indian Ministers Smiriti Irani, Hardeep Singh Puri and V Muraleedharan and Members of Parliament Jayant Sinha, Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Swapan Dasgupta will also speak in different sessions.

More than 2000 participants, including over 600 delegates and speakers, are taking part in the conference.

India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Karanbir Singh, besides US Deputy NSA Matthew Pottinger, Afghanistan NSA Hamdullah Mohib, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defence Forces, Gen. Koji Yamazaki, Vice Chief of Australian Defence Force, Vice Adm. David Johnston and Chief of Naval Staff of UK, Adm. Tony Radakin will also speak at the conference.

The valedictory address will be delivered by Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Union, Josep Borrell.

Source: ET

Image Courtesy: ORF