In the 21st century, India is showing a growing interest in the Arctic. The republic was granted observer status with the Arctic Council in 2013. New Delhi, however, does not have a clear strategy in the region.
The importance of the polar zone for India is associated in many ways with its special significance for the ecological and climatic situation throughout the world. Based on many years of experience in Antarctic research, the country is stepping up scientific activities in the Arctic. India's interest in the region is also driven by the prospects for the implementation of energy and transport projects. Moreover, in recent years, a marked deterioration in the global strategic environment, which also affects the Arctic, as well as the growing activity of the PRC, are forcing New Delhi to consider the region from a geopolitical point of view.
In the implementation of all interests, India considers Russia as a long-term priority partner. Now there are new opportunities for the development of the Russian-Indian "Arctic" partnership, although their implementation in practice is complicated in the conditions of sanctions pressure from the West on Moscow.
Within this session, Russian and Indian diplomats and experts will discuss the following issues:
- Common interests of Russia and India in the Arctic region: dynamics of development of cooperation
- Legal Status and Strategic Processes in the Arctic: Common and Differences in the Approaches of Russia and India
- Joint economic projects in the Russian Arctic: energy, transport and high technologies
- Arctic Ecosystem Research: Opportunities for Deepening Cooperation
