Europe and Eurasia

About Centre

IDSA’s Europe and Eurasia Centre conducts its research both topically and regionally, focusing on the key strategic importance of Europe and the Eurasian region – covering Russia and the former Soviet Republics – to India’s security and foreign policy. While the European continent itself is no longer a major source of threats to India, European involvement and outreach on the global and regional arenas demand active attention to the security and defence policies of European countries and the efforts of major multilateral institutions such as NATO and EU. The Centre continues to host visiting European policy makers, academics, military personnel, diplomats and political leaders for conferences, seminars, lectures, workshops, and informal briefings.

In addition, the Centre focuses on the security and foreign policies of Russia as well as of the post-Soviet republics. India continues to depend on Russian defence supplies and benefits from Russian cooperation in the fields of hydrocarbon and nuclear energy. In the past, India and the erstwhile Soviet Union had invested heavily in a strategic relationship. That continues to be an important goal in official pronouncements. Russia is still politically, diplomatically and militarily important for India.

The Centre has published several books, reports, articles and policy papers on a wide variety of issues in the region. It has been conducting a series of security dialogues with the countries of the region at the bilateral and multilateral levels. The Centre also focuses on security and strategic issues in Central Asia that impact on India. Attention is also directed towards the energy security and economic linkages between India and Central Asian States.

Deciphering Russia’s New Nuclear Strategy

Russia’s new nuclear strategy is both a tactical and a strategic document. It leaves the door open for adversaries to recalibrate their strategies while giving Russia the scope to manoeuvre the ongoing turbulence in its ties with the US

Rajorshi Roy
June 23, 2020
IDSA Comments

Renaissance and Reticence in India’s North-South Connectivity Platform

The distraction of Chabahar’s questionable economic rationale and the embellishment of a centuries-old fascination with Suez alternatives, whilst entirely logical from a Muscovite perspective, must cede priority to New Delhi’s immediate interests in its own strategic backyard

Philip Reid
November 30, 2018
IDSA Comments

India-Russia Summit: Reading Between the Lines

The 19th bilateral summit has left a mixed feeling about the current state of the Indo-Russian relationship and its future prospects.

Aleksei Zakharov
October 18, 2018
IDSA Comments

India’s Economic Opportunities in Central Asia

India needs to use economic leverages more efficiently to build closer ties with Central Asia.

P. Stobdan
September 17, 2018
Policy Brief

Averting India’s Fall into a Geopolitical Trap

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a foreign policy course-correction after realising that the strategic tilt towards the United States has not only grossly upset India’s geopolitical image but also undermined national interests.

P. Stobdan
July 06, 2018
IDSA Comments

Raksha Mantri to Pursue India’s Defence Cooperation Agenda in SCO

India should institute regular strategic and security dialogue and conferences to discuss issues of common interests and identify priority actions for stronger cooperation with SCO countries.

P. Stobdan
April 16, 2018
IDSA Comments

Resituating Menser and Darchen-Labrang in the Boundary Negotiations with China

The Doklam episode should prompt India and Bhutan to rethink their hitherto overlooked issue of resituating Menser and Darchen-Labrang in their academic discourse and policy positions.

P. Stobdan
February 16, 2018
Policy Brief

Significance of India joining the Ashgabat Agreement

In the backdrop of joining the Ashgabat Agreement, India now must enlarge the strategic role of Chabahar port for evolving an integrated transportation network involving both the INSTC and the proposed transit corridor to Central Asia.

P. Stobdan
February 12, 2018
IDSA Comments

To make Chabahar a ‘Game Changer’ Central Asian states need to be roped in

India needs to rope in one or more of the Central Asian countries, preferably Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, in the Chabahar project, to fully exploit its potential.

P. Stobdan
December 12, 2017
IDSA Comments

Now The Right in Berlin: The German Elections of 2017

The CDU’s likely coalition partners are the Green Party and the Free Democrats. Such a coalition can work because all partners share a common design on European Unity and socio-economic policies at home.