Ministry of External Affairs Government of India

Following the successful organization of Raisina Dialogue in March 2016, Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with Observer Research Foundation is organizing the 2nd Edition of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi from 17-19 January, 2017. The venue of the dialogue is Taj Palace, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

The Theme of the Dialogue, this year, is "The New Normal: Multilateralism with Multi-Polarity”. The Dialogue is India’s flagship geo-political conference to be held annually and within a short span has emerged as a much awaited global conference in the international calendar.

The Dialogue will feature an Inaugural Panel with the participation of Shri M.J. Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs of India, Shri Prakash Sharan Mahat, Foreign Minister of Nepal, Mr. Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, Mr. Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and Mr. Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

A video message from the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres will also be played before the Inaugural Panel.

There are also a number of Ministerial and Keynote addresses planned during the Dialogue on 18 – 19 January, 2017.

The Theme Address would be given by Foreign Secretary Dr. S. Jaishankar. Among the foreign dignitaries who will be addressing the Dialogue are Mr. Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, UK, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Minister for Regional Development, Sri Lanka, Mr. Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Jacques Audibert, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of France, Mr. Shunsuke Takei, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr, Commander, Pacific Command and Admiral Michelle Howard, Commander, US Naval Forces, Europe and Africa.

Senior Ministers from the Indian Council of Ministers will also be addressing the gathering and interacting with the participants of the Dialogue.

A major highlight of the event would be a one-to-one Conversation on the concluding day, between Minister of State for External Affairs Shri M.J. Akbar and Mr. Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan.

The 2nd Edition of the Dialogue has met with greater enthusiasm from across the world. While the first edition involved about 40 countries with 120 foreign participants, the 2nd edition is expected to feature participation from about 65 countries and more than 250 foreign participants. Many of these will participate in a number of Panels, including some concurrent ones, organized across a range of sub-themes and include political leaders, diplomats, senior Generals and Admirals, strategic experts and thinkers.