Webinar “Russia-India Relations and Pandemic Test of the Global Governance”

Date: July 23, 2020
Time: 13.30 – 15.30 (Moscow) 16.00 – 18.00 (New Delhi)
Working language: English
Organizers: BRICS Russia Expert Council, National Committee on BRICS Research (Russia), Observer Research Foundation (India)

Agenda:
Even as the world continues to grapple with the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19 - seeking to understand the domestic and international repercussions of the pandemic - the ripple effects of heightened uncertainty surrounding the future of the international system can already be felt across state boundaries and global institutions. Needless to say, the world order was already in flux even before the pandemic hit, characterized by a decline of the liberal world order and the rise of China. But the pandemic has brought into sharp relief the limitations of global governance institutions, the ordering of the international system, the future of globalization, and contestation about the future norms of conduct. From geopolitics to geo-economics, the consequences of COVID-19 are expected to be far-reaching and all-encompassing. The prospects of a deepening rivalry between the US and China, the feeble response from international organizations to a crisis of global proportions and the enormity of the task of rebuilding the world economy has inevitably led to questions regarding the future of the world order. In the immediate period, the focus is on containing the virus and protecting the population. But this involves a broader debate on public health, technology, pharmaceuticals, knowledge sharing and research. It is within this context that this discussion will take place, seeking to analyze the impact of the changes underway in the global system on key issues of the world order, multilateral institutions, and bilateral engagements. Both India and Russia will have to grapple with these questions as they navigate this unpredictable environment – both at the bilateral and multilateral levels. What will be the role of the two strategic partners in this new world order? What does the future of international institutions look like and what does it mean for multilateral organizations like BRICS, of which both India and Russia are important members? What are the major challenges faced by global institutions in tackling the pandemic? Can India and Russia lead BRICS towards enhanced collaboration in areas like public health, setting the stage for further cooperation on other challenges including climate change? What will be the impact of the changing world order on the functioning of multilateral institutions in general and on BRICS in particular? And what do these developments mean for bilateral Indo-Russia relations?

Key topics:
Session 1: The Emerging World Order: COVID-19 and beyond

- What will be the impact of changing world order on the future of multilateralism and global governance?
- What will be the relevance and role of BRICS in this emerging world order?
- How will BRICS deal with a new world order in terms of the evolving internal dynamics among member-states and how will Russia and India contribute to the development of the global governance system?
- What are the shared interests of Russia and India in enhancing the multilateral healthcare system? How will this reflect on the future agenda-setting of BRICS in terms of priority areas and policy-making?
- How can BRICS help its member-states deal with the impact of COVID-19?

Session 2: Indo-Russia Relations in a changing world order
- What will be the impact of the changing world order on Indo-Russia relations?
- How will the COVID-19 pandemic impact Russia-India relations and their engagement within the BRICS framework?
- What can India and Russia do to re-energize BRICS and set its future agenda?

Co-Chairs:

- Dr. Victoria PANOVA, Scientific Supervisor of the BRICS Russia Expert Council, Managing Director of the National Committee on BRICS Research, Russia
- Mr. Nandan UNNIKRISHNAN, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India

Welcoming remarks:

- H.E. Mr. Nikolay KUDASHEV, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India
- H.E. Mr. D. B. Venkatesh VARMA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation

Session 1

Speakers:

- Dr. Sergey LUNEV, Professor of the Oriental Studies Department of the MGIMO University
- Dr. Samir SARAN, President, Observer Research Foundation
- Dr. Lydia KULIK, Head of India Studies, SKOLKOVO Institute for Emerging Market Studies; Research Fellow, Center for Indian Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS
- Ms. Suhasini HAIDAR, National Editor and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Session 2

Speakers:

- Dr. Tatiana SHAUMYAN, Head of the Center for Indian Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Mr. Nandan UNNIKRISHNAN, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
- Dr. Alexey KUPRIYANOV, Senior research fellow, Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences
- Ms. Nivedita KAPOOR, Junior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation

For registration, please fill in the online form. The Organizing Committee will send out the link for video-conference to registered participants 1-2 days before the event. For more details, please contact BRICS Russia Expert Council: bricsec@ranepa.ru (Ms. Ksenia Shevtsova).