The Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, was inaugurated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In her inaugural address here on Thursday, Meloni emphasised that India and Italy shared a profound conviction in the rule of law, and a human-centric vision in which democracy, peace, science and progress went hand in hand.
Drawing attention to the need for strong leadership at a time of global turbulence, she observed that the threats posed by climate change, terrorism, war, and rapid digital transitions could only be addressed through greater international cooperation and resolve.
Meloni pointed to the growing connectivity between Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and its positive implications for trade and strategic partnerships.
She also recognised the importance of the G20 as a global grouping that could jointly solve complex challenges, and assured Prime Minister Modi of Italy's support for India's interventions as G20 president.
A joint commitment to advance the G20 agenda was one of several areas of mutual interest, she said, and India and Italy had recently decided to scale up their bilateral relationship.
S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, India, delivered the vote of thanks at the inauguration. He remarked that while the world is experiencing unprecedented uncertainty, for every challenge there are solutions and capable leadership. The G20, he said, offered both.
The Raisina Dialogue, in its eighth edition this year, is being held between March 2-4, 2023 in New Delhi. This year's conference is entitled 'Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse in the Tempest?'.
The Dialogue will engage with compelling issues that are reshaping the world order, negotiate volatility, explore solutions, and craft a collective response that will help lift all.
The Raisina Dialogue 2023 will comprise over 100 sessions, spanning panel discussions, roundtables, studio sessions, and associated events across five thematic pillars viz.
1. Neo Insurgence: Geographies, Domains, Ambitions
2. Amoral Mosaic: Contest, Cooperate or Cancel
3. Chaotic Codes: Sovereignty, Security, Society
4. Pernicious Passports: Climate, Commons, Citizens
5. Grey Rhinos: Democracies, Dependencies and Debt Traps
Over 2,500 participants from more than 100 countries will be hosted at the Raisina Dialogue this year. They include serving and former heads of state, ministers and lawmakers, diplomats, policy planners, military leaders, heads of multilateral institutions, business chiefs and eminent thinkers whose collective agency will ensure rich and diverse discussions at the Dialogue.
This year, the Raisina Dialogue also hosted the inaugural Raisina @ Sydney Dialogue and the Raisina Dialogue in Washington DC in February. All open-door sessions at the Raisina Dialogue will be streamed live on the official Raisina Dialogue Twitter handle (@raisinadialogue), the Observer Research Foundation's YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Across its eight editions, the Raisina Dialogue has established itself as India's leading geopolitical and geoeconomic conference, shaping global public policy conversations around the world.
The Raisina Dialogue is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.