St Petersburg University holds first meeting of the new format of Russia-India-China trilateral cooperation
Leading experts from Russia, India, and China in international relations, global security, and the global economy have participated in a video conference at St Petersburg University. The meeting was chaired by Konstantin Khudoley, Professor in the Department of European Studies at St Petersburg University and a member of the Russian International Affairs Council.
Key topics discussed included the multipolarity of world politics in modern international relations, threats to the stability and sustainability of international energy security in Russian-Chinese-Indian relations, and issues related to the global food market.
Karin Kneissl is Head of the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues (G.O.R.K.I. Centre) at St Petersburg University, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria. She presented a report on the stages of formation of the international trading platform and discussed the role of the leading states and integration associations in the functioning of the world market.
The notion of establishing a trilateral expert dialogue between representatives of the academic communities of Russia, India, and China was proposed in March 2023 during a meeting of partners at the 21st Asian Security Conference in New Delhi. The trialogue Russia-India-China was initiated by St Petersburg University, Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, and Sichuan University in China.
The meeting was attended by leading experts from Russia, India, and China in the fields of international relations, economics, security, and other relevant areas. Throughout the discussion, the experts expressed varying viewpoints on cooperation between the three countries, emphasising the importance of reaching common ground and enhancing international institutions to effectively tackle contemporary challenges.
At the end of the meeting, the coordinators from the partner universities summarised the outcomes and underlined the significance of the topics addressed. Among those who expressed a collective agreement on the necessity of deepening cooperation between Russia, China, and India on key international issues were: Professor Huang Yunsong, Associate Dean of the School of International Studies at Sichuan University; Professor Srikanth Kondapalli, Dean of the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Professor Stanislav Tkachenko, Head of the master’s programme in Diplomacy of the Russian Federation and Foreign States at St Petersburg University.
Furthermore, representatives of foreign partners suggested that St Petersburg University take a leading role in shaping the agenda for future meetings. In line with the agreements made, expert meetings will be held quarterly in either a face-to-face or online format. The upcoming meeting plans to broaden the scope of topics discussed significantly.
The new format of Russia-India-China cooperation is a significant step forward in strengthening dialogue among allied nations and creating a common platform for addressing issues of global development and solving challenges across the Eurasian continent.