4th annual conference of the Middle East Dialogue of the Valdai International Discussion Club, titled “Islam in Politics: Ideology or Pragmatism?”, will take place in Marrakesh, Morocco, on May 14-15.
Issues of commonalities and differences in the Muslim communities of Russia and Canada, as well as problems of their integration into the legal frameworks of their respective countries, were the main topics of discussion at the conference Muslims in Russia, the CIS, and Canada: Cohabitation and Cooperation
The conference Muslims in Russia, the CIS, and Canada: Cohabitation and Cooperation presented by Carleton’ Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, the Department of Political Science, the Carleton Centre for the Study of Islam, and the Valdai Discussion Club is to be held on March 8, 2013 at the Carleton University, Ottawa.
The analytical report “Russia’s Economy: after Transformation, before Modernization” was prepared after discussions at the Valdai Discussion Club Summit held on October 21–22, 2012. The report incorporates many of the conclusions on Russia’s political development contained in the 2011 Valdai report “Russia Should Not Miss Its Chance: Development Scenarios”.
The Russia Development Index (Valdai Index) reflects the combined opinion of the world's leading experts on Russia as regards Russia’s political, economic, social, cultural and international performance. The annual poll aims to study changes in Russia’s development trends over a year. It is important that respondents assess not the current situation, but changes.
The analytical report “Military Reform: Toward the New Look of the Russian Army” summarizes the results of the conference of the Valdai Discussion Club Defense and Security section titled “Modernization of Russia’s Armed Forces and Cooperation in International Security” which was held on May 25-27, 2011 in Moscow.
Recent reports show that the Russian aerospace industry comprises numerous subsidiaries with unclear functions that still receive project funding. This has just been reported in connection with the GLONASS program and in connection with the finger pointing among top executives of the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Russian Space Systems Corporation.
The Skolkovo innovation city project will attract leading experts from around the world, and will help Russia’s scientific and engineering potential to reach the global market, experts announced at a round table meeting at RIA Novosti that was part of the eighth meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
One of Russia’s key goals is to create an efficient system that will stop brain drain and foster technologically advanced and socially attractive conditions for developing, patenting and implementing scientific and innovative projects inside the country.
There is a gap between the Russian economic potential and the Russian economic performance. Foreign investment in the real economy in Russia will come only if Russians begin investing in their own country. What we see now is outflow, not only of investment from Russia but we see it also in Russian investors, who are investing in Europe, in the United States, in Canada, in China, but investing less and less in Russia.
Skolkovo might benefit from a growing Russia buzz in the valley. There's the foundation's Sand Hill Road office, which Skolkovo will share with a Russian government-backed venture fund and a Russian government-backed investment firm promoting nanotechnology. Then there's President Medvedev's tech tour of the valley last summer, during which he said he wanted to see for himself "the origins of success."
Russia’s negative image in nuclear security, export controls and nonproliferation dates back to the early 1990s; it is based on a combination of real problems that existed at the time and Hollywood-like stories in the media. Until recently, that image has often stood in the way of practical contacts and politicized nuclear energy cooperation between Russia and the United States.
Dmitry Medvedev has repeatedly stated that freedom is better than its alternative and that a modern economy should be based on the free individual. The government should retreat from the market, courts should protect contracts, law enforcement should enforce the Russian legislation, and officials should be executing their duties rather than dividing resources and taking bribes.
In light of the present situation in the Middle East, Russia and Israel find themselves facing common challenges. Under these newly emerging situations, Russia sees its partnership with Israel as a potential asset in resolving acute regional issues. From a Russian perspective, the compatibility of Israeli and Russian interests could contribute to such a partnership.
The failure of the Islamist political parties who came to power in the dramatic events of the Arab Spring would allow the military to reenter the political arena. Political Islam was successful in the opposition, but it could fail in power, as the negative experience of Egypt and Iraq have shown.
The Arab Spring has dramatically changed the alignment of forces in the Middle East and North Africa. What are the long-term consequences of these changes and how can relations be established with the new political elites? Politicians and leading experts on Middle East studies discussed these issues at the Valdai International Discussion Club conference, “Islam in Politics: Ideology or Pragmatism?” in Marrakesh, Morocco, on May 14-15.
Nader Bakkar, an official representative and one of the founders of the influential Egyptian Salafi political party al-Nour told RIA Novosti that its delegation plans to visit Russia in the near future.