13 FMs to take part in Raisina Dialogue 2020

Foreign ministers from 13 countries, including Russia, Iran and Australia, will attend the fifth edition of the geo-political conference, 'Raisina Dialogue', beginning here on Tuesday.

The three-day event, co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), will also witness the participation of many deputy foreign ministers, former prime ministers, former presidents, national security advisors, military chiefs and other high-level policy-makers, scholars and officials, a statement by the ORF said.

Over 180 delegates from 105 countries are taking part in this edition, themed '21@20: Navigating the Alpha Century', the statement said.

In all, the conference will see 116 speakers, it said. Besides, Externally Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the other foreign ministers participating in this year's conference are from Russia, Iran, Australia, Maldives, South Africa, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Denmark, Hungary, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai and prime ministers of Sweden, Republic of Korea, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and Bhutan are also participating in the conference.

Iran's foreign minister Javed Zarif visit to India next week assumes significance as it comes following the killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

Union ministers Smriti Irani, Hardeep Singh Puri and V Muraleedharan, as well as members of Parliament Jayant Sinha, Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Swapan Dasgupta, will also speak in different sessions.

More than 2,000 participants, including over 600 delegates and speakers, are taking part in the conference.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karanbir Singh, besides US Deputy NSA Matthew Pottinger, Afghanistan NSA Hamdullah Mohib and Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Phil Davidson will speak at the event.

Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defence Forces, General Koji Yamazaki, Vice Chief of Australian Defence Force, Vice Admiral David Johnston and Chief of Naval Staff of UK, Admiral Tony Radakin will also speak at the conference.

The valedictory address will be delivered by Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Union, Josep Borrell.