Tony Abbott, former Australian Prime Minister, in an open letter, termed the annual Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi as “the brainchild” of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar. He also said that the dialogue compares favourably with established international meetings such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Switzerland and the Boao Forum in China. 

Abbott described the Raisina Dialogue as one of the most dynamic global forums for international discussion. 

He further highlighted that it has emerged as a key platform bringing together political leaders, military officials, business figures, journalists, and think tank representatives to debate pressing geopolitical issues.

In the letter reflecting on his participation in the forum, Abbott noted that the conference had grown into a prominent gathering in global diplomacy. 

According to Abbott, the Dialogue also stands out because discussions are not dominated by what he described as politically correct narratives or excessive deference to host governments. 

“Like other global gatherings, it brings together political leaders, senior military commanders, prominent business people, leading journalists, and think tank chiefs to discuss key issues; but it’s better than Davos because it’s not so dominated by politically correct plutocrats; and better than the longer-running Chinese Boao Forum, because it not essentially an exercise in homage to the host government,” he said. 

“Because it’s India, there’s a lot of emphasis on the “global south”; but equally, because it’s India, there’s a recognition that fine sentiment shouldn’t be taken too seriously, especially if it’s masking grievance and rent-seeking; and that, in the end, noble aspirations have to take into account hard power and economic strength,” he added.

‘Jaishankar invariably attends numerous sessions’: Abbott

The former Australian PM also commended EAM Jaishankar’s attendance and engagement at the event, noting that the minister frequently participates in multiple sessions, sometimes speaking, sometimes listening from the audience, and engages with other panellists in a respectful exchange of ideas.

“To his credit, Jaishankar invariably attends numerous sessions, sometimes simply sitting in the audience, sometimes as a key note speaker, and sometimes as one of up to a half-dozen discussants on any particular topic; politely agreeing or taking issue with his fellow panelists, as the debate goes. Remarkably for someone of such accomplishment (successively India’s ambassador to China, the United States, and head of the Ministry of External Affairs, before becoming the Foreign Minister), Jai doesn’t talk down, and is on ‘receive’ far more often than ‘transmit’,” he noted. 

“Indeed, at this conference, rank has no privileges; it might get you onto the stage as a speaker or panelist, but it’s the quality of the contribution that counts. After all, no one has a monopoly on knowledge or wisdom and everyone should be there to justify ideas and to learn from the discussion,” he further said.

Abbott praises PM Modi 

Abbott also highlighted the role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening of the conference. 

He pointed out that PM Modi traditionally attends the inaugural session to listen to the keynote address delivered by a visiting world leader; this year, the President of Finland, rather than delivering a speech himself.

“At every dialogue so far, Prime Minister Modi has set the example, attending the opening session, to hear the principal guest – last year the Prime Minister of New Zealand; this year the President of Finland – but not speaking himself. After the US and Chinese presidents, he’s probably the most immediately powerful person in the world, yet he’s not too proud to listen as well as to lead. Despite over a decade in office, perhaps because of his youth as a kind of Hindu monk, Modi has thus far managed to resist the hubris of power,” he said.

Abbott also outlined three major takeaways from the discussions, saying many global forums appear overly focused on consensus-driven diplomacy rather than tangible action.

Raisina Dialogue

The Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, has been held annually in New Delhi since 2016. 

Organised by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), this three-day event convenes global leaders, policymakers, academics, industry experts, and journalists to discuss critical international issues.