“Russia at the Crossroads: Choice and Identity” was the title of the Valdai Discussion Club conference held in Moscow and Kazan from September 10 to 14, 2007.
Issues of religious pluralism and multinationalism, as well as the upcoming parliamentary (2007) and presidential (2008) elections were elevated to the forefront of the discussion.
Four panel discussions were held within the framework of the conference: “Russia – Between East and West”, “Russia After 2008: Models of Development”, “The World of the 21st Century: the Return of Religion?”, “Parliamentary and Presidential Elections”.
Politicians, political scientists, and journalists from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, China, and Brazil were invited to participate in the work of the discussion club.
The programme in Kazan featured meetings with local authorities and religious leaders of Tatarstan. In Moscow, experts held discussions with representatives of the Russian Government, leaders of political parties, and Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow.
The conference concluded, as per tradition, with a meeting between the foreign participants and Russian President Vladimir Putin, held in Sochi.
