22 September 2016
September 22nd, the Forum of Russian and Indian research centers started at MGIMO. The opening ceremony of the two-day conference was attended by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, the Ambassador of India Pankaj Saran, the Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs Shri Nalin Surie and the Advisor to the President of Russia Sergey Glazyev.
The conference was opened by MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov, who stressed that India is one of Russia's most important partners. The Rector underlined the effectiveness of the cooperation between the two countries in many spheres, from military-political to humanitarian, in tackling global challenges and dealing with regional problems. Anatoly Torkunov also expressed confidence that the current Forum would reinforce Russian-Indian relations in a great number of different fields.
In his speech, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister spoke about the development of Russian-Indian relations which are characterized by a high degree of mutual trust and a productive political dialogue. Igor Morgulov emphasized the quality of cooperation between the two countries in the economic and nuclear spheres. In turn, Sergey Glazyev depicted the Eurasian project and spoke about the cooperation between Russia and India in the creation of a free trade area, which will reinforce economic ties between the two countries.
The Indian Ambassador Pankaj Saran extended his thanks to the diplomats and researchers participating in the event and expressed hope that the conference will mark the beginning of a new tradition of cooperation which will carry the bilateral relationship to a new level. Shri Nalin Surie thanked Anatoly Torkunov for hosting the Forum and noted that it was timely as in the context of serious challenges, such as migration and terrorism, it is necessary to coordinate efforts and enhance cooperation.
— See the MGIMO web-site for more photos
— Go to Russian version
