MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Russia and India need to expand defense cooperation, Venkatesh Varma, India's former ambassador to Russia (2018-2021), the honorary research fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation, told reporters.
"We need to promote our cooperation to make it more stable. <…> Our relations should go beyond cooperation in the defense sector," he said on the sidelines of the Russian-Indian conference of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Vivekananda Foundation.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in September 2004. It brings together Russian and foreign experts specializing in political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian studies. Initially it was founded to facilitate the dialogue between Russia and the global community. Later the scope of its targets expanded, with independent and unbiased analysis of political, economic and social events in Russia and globally, as well as joint development of solutions to overcome the present crisis of the world’s system, were added to the list.
The Vivekananda International Foundation is a New Delhi-based think tank set up with the joint efforts of leading Indian security experts, diplomats, and philanthropists. Its goal is to develop innovative approaches to India's security and well-being that will enable the country to play its role in world affairs.
The first Russian-Indian conference of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Vivekananda International Foundation was held in January 2024 in New Delhi.