EVENTS

Abstract

Geopolitics continues to be a driving factor in which major powers are engaged in jockeying for influence in the Eurasian region. So far, China has almost displaced Russia and left behind others including the US in establishing its presence in Central Asia. The region had been historically a zone of India’s civilizational influence, but its ability to reach out to Central Asia has been curtailed by several factors. Against this backdrop, the presentation will explore India’s on-going efforts in developing cooperation in the field of energy and other aspects of its future role in Central Asia.  

About the Speaker

Ambassador (Prof.) P. Stobdan is a distinguished academician, diplomat, author and foreign policy/national security analyst. He closely follows developments in China, Central Asia and High Asia. He has written extensively on a wide range of security-related subjects in a number of professional journals on strategic affairs and books. Ambassador Stobdan is a leading columnist for Indian Express and other national dailies. He served in Central Asia twice. His last diplomatic assignment was in Bishkek where he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Kyrgyzstan. Earlier he had served as Joint Director in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and Director/Professor of the Centre for Strategic and Regional Studies at the University of Jammu. He is the Founding President of the Ladakh International Centre, Leh. Currently, he is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. His recent book Central Asia - Democracy, Instability and Strategic Game in Kyrgyzstan was released last month.