Context: The Prime Minister of New Zealand, foreign ministers from at least 18 nations, senior executives from major multinational businesses, and foreign policy experts will take part in the Raisina Dialogue, which will take place in New Delhi from March 17-19, 2025. At the sidelines, the directors of intelligence agencies of Five Eyes Alliance countries are also set to meet.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key Facts about Raisina Dialogue; Five Eyes Alliance.
About Raisina Dialogue
- Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference held annually in New Delhi, India.
- It is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geo-economics committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community.
- The leaders from politics, business, media, and civil society converge to discuss the state of the world and explore opportunities for cooperation on a wide range of contemporary matters.
- Hosted by: Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs.
Raisina Dialogue 2025
- Theme 2025: "Kalachakra" (Wheel of Time), symbolising global political cycles and change.
Key Issues expected to dominate:
Significance for India’s Foreign Policy:
- Balancing global power dynamics: Managing ties with the U.S., Russia, China & EU.
- Enhancing regional leadership: Strengthening South Asia & Indo-Pacific ties.
- Positioning India as a mediator in global issues, E.g., Ukraine, Indo-Pacific, and trade disputes.
- Expanding influence in Global South – economic & strategic engagement.
About Five Eyes Alliance:
- The Five Eyes (FVEY) Alliance is an intelligence-sharing network consisting of five English-speaking countries:
- United States (US)
- United Kingdom (UK)
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Purpose: Enhancing global security & intelligence cooperation to monitor threats related to terrorism, cyber warfare, and geopolitical conflicts.
- Origins: Evolved from World War II-era intelligence cooperation, particularly the UK-USA Agreement (1946).
Key Areas of cooperation:
- Counterterrorism & Security
- Preventing terrorist attacks by sharing intelligence.
- Example: Coordination after 9/11 attacks (2001) to track terrorist networks like Al-Qaeda.
- Cybersecurity & Cyber Warfare
- Tracking cyber threats from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
- Countering state-sponsored hacking, cyber espionage, and ransomware attacks.
- Geopolitical Intelligence & Surveillance
- Monitoring Chinese expansion in the Indo-Pacific.
- Tracking Russia’s activities in Ukraine & NATO regions.
- Espionage Prevention
- Identifying foreign spies & intelligence networks operating in allied countries.
- Example: Banning Chinese telecom giant Huawei from 5G networks in most Five Eyes countries.