Heads of Mission Conference in New Delhi

India began its three-day Heads of Mission Conference in New Delhi on April 28, bringing its ambassadors and high commissioners together for closed-door strategy sessions. (cnbctv18.com) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri led the opening day, with discussions focused on global developments and the crisis in West Asia. The agenda included the economic, political and diplomatic fallout for Gulf countries. (cnbctv18.com) (hindustantimes.com) A central topic is the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping route that carries a large share of the world’s oil and trade. Hindustan Times reported officials are weighing the effect of disrupted traffic there on energy flows, cargo movement and Gulf economies. (hindustantimes.com) Day two is scheduled to be led by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is set to brief envoys on the changing global balance amid the West Asia war, the Russia-Ukraine war and China’s growing weight in East Asia. (cnbctv18.com) (hindustantimes.com) Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan is also expected to address the conference with an assessment of neighboring militaries and India’s own armed-forces reforms. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is slated to speak on national security priorities. (cnbctv18.com) (hindustantimes.com) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to join the deliberations on April 30, the conference’s final day. CNBC-TV18 reported he will present his broader foreign-policy vision and receive briefings on how the Ministry of External Affairs is executing diplomatic priorities. (cnbctv18.com) The conference is an annual exercise for India’s foreign service, bringing senior diplomats back to New Delhi to align messaging and priorities across missions. The Ministry of External Affairs has described earlier editions as a regular feature of India’s diplomatic calendar. (mea.gov.in 1) (mea.gov.in 2) This year’s meeting lands as India weighs turbulence across West Asia, pressure on maritime trade routes and changing ties among the United States, China and Gulf states. The conference ends on April 30 with Modi’s address to the envoys. (cnbctv18.com) (hindustantimes.com)