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VIF organized a seminar on ‘Recent Developments in West Asia: Challenges and Implications’ on July 25, 2014 to analyse the situation in the strife-torn area and its broader ramifications for the region and India. The seminar, inter alia, focused on the sectarian violence in West Asia - its causes and spread, the regional security environment, the emergence of Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS), the external influences on the West Asian conflicts, the process of Arab Islamisation, India’s energy security and the safety of Indian workers in the region, the possible impact of violence on India’s internal security dynamic, and the diplomatic challenges facing India on the West Asian front.

Shri Ajit Doval KC, India’s new National Security Advisor (NSA) and the erstwhile Director of the Foundation delivered the keynote address, sharing his perspective on the prevailing situation in Iraq and other parts of the region.

The first session gave an overview of ‘Recent Developments in West Asia: Challenges and Prospects’. It was chaired by Ambassador RS Kalha and had two speakers on the panel – Ambassador Sanjay Singh and Ms Shebonti Dadwal. While the former spoke about the threat to peace and security and the role of regional and international players, the latter discussed the energy situation and its implications, especially in the context of India. The evolving situation in Iraq and its implications for India however came up for even closer examination during the second session. The second session, which included three panelists – Dr. Ajai Sahni, Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain and Ambassador Arvind Gupta, was chaired by Ambassador Satyabrata. The panelists shared their perspectives respectively on international terrorism, faith and sectarian dimensions of the conflict and its impact on India and the possible future scenario for Iraq and Syria. Ambassador Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary, summed up the proceedings of the event.