Seminar 17. Pundi S.Raghavan: “India and Russia in the Indo-Pacific”

On Thursday, 25 June 2020, the International Laboratory on World Order Studies and Department of International Relations and the New Regionalism of the National Research University Higher School of Economics held the 17th session of Eurasian Online Seminar. Our guest was a leading Indian diplomat and foreign policy analyst, Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board Ambassador P.S.Raghavan. The topic of his talk is “India and Russia in the Indo-Pacific.”

Ambassador Raghavan is Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), which advises India’s National Security Council on strategic and security issues.

In a diplomatic career of over 36 years, he has served as India’s Ambassador to Russia (2014-16), Czech Republic and Ireland.  He has also held other diplomatic positions in USSR, Poland, UK, Vietnam and South Africa.

He was Joint Secretary [Director General] in the Prime Minister's Office (2000-2004) dealing with foreign affairs, nuclear energy, space, defence and national security, during a period of transformation in India’s foreign and national security policies.

As Secretary [Deputy Foreign Minister] in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), he handled India’s external economic relations and oversaw Administration, Security and e-governance. He also headed the Development Partnership Administration, which coordinates India’s economic partnership programme in developing countries, with an annual budget of US $1-1.5 billion.

He was Chief Coordinator of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi (March 2012). From 2012 to January 2014, he was Special Envoy of Government of India to Sudan and South Sudan.

As Chairman NSAB, he engages with government departments and think tanks in India and outside on India’s strategic perspectives. He writes widely on these issues.