Jagannath Panda delivered a keynote presentation on “Minilateralism in the Indo-Pacific” at an international conference titled “Small and Middle Power Strategies in the Indo-Pacific,” hosted by the Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest
October 22, 2026: Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA), delivered a keynote presentation on “Minilateralism in the Indo-Pacific” at an international conference titled “Small and Middle Power Strategies in the Indo-Pacific,” hosted by the Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest, Hungary, on October 20, 2026. The conference brought together scholars and strategic affairs experts to examine the evolving roles of small and middle powers in the Indo-Pacific amid intensifying geopolitical competition, shifting regional alignments, and emerging security challenges.
In his presentation, Dr. Panda examined the growing significance of minilateral arrangements in shaping the Indo-Pacific’s strategic architecture. He discussed the roles of frameworks such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), AUKUS, and I2U2, highlighting how flexible, issue-based partnerships are increasingly complementing traditional multilateral institutions. His presentation also explored the opportunities and limitations of minilateral cooperation, the strategic choices confronting middle powers, and the implications for European engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
Dr. Panda subsequently participated in a roundtable discussion alongside Asshagab Sri Milawati of Corvinus University of Budapest and Máté Szakáli of Eötvös Loránd University, moderated by Viktor Eszterhai of the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics. The conference also featured a keynote address by Ann Febel Q. Bajo of the University of Portsmouth on the Philippines’ perspective on small and middle power strategies, followed by discussions examining balancing and bandwagoning approaches in an increasingly contested regional order.
During his visit to Budapest, Dr. Panda also visited the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA) for an interaction focusing on contemporary Indo-Pacific developments and the evolving strategic relationship between India and the European Union. The discussions addressed the growing importance of EU–India cooperation, regional security challenges, strategic connectivity, and opportunities for strengthening Europe’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific.