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.
05/07/201311:16 The President’s best decision during his first year in office is the start of an anticorruption fight and the dismissal of Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov (replaced by the popular Sergei Shoigu). As for his worst decision, it is appointing Dmitry Medvedev as Prime Minister, something that sparked quite a serious negative reaction.
04/08/201312:06 Russia should be regarded as a hybrid economic system supporting two major elite constituencies: a politically led national statist bloc and liberal Western-oriented economic interests favouring neo-liberal market policies. The political leadership is considered to be constituted of a political coalition offering a balance between these two groups.
03/26/201311:59 In the space of a few years Russia has gradually set up both substantive and procedural alternatives to the EU's normative leadership, which is its second challenge to Brussels.
02/18/201310:32 The political and economic community and experts are well aware that Medvedev is, willingly or unwillingly, one of the top-ranking officials in Putin’s vertical of power. His political future depends more on Vladimir Putin and less on himself, and, of course, the most important factor is the political, economic and social atmosphere in Russia over the next five years.
12/20/201211:34 Given the sheer political impassiveness of the overwhelming part of population in Russia, the implementation of the protest-revolutionary scenario is not viable under current conditions. However, its rising legitimacy in society increases sensitivity to the potential triggers of mass protests. The new wave of the economic crisis could become one of such triggers.
12/13/201211:02 Putin has changed his policy toward his team. He has come to see that abuses of power and corruption have grown to a scale that threatens the survival of the regime. The recent corruption cases are a signal for the elite that they should temper their appetites or risk imprisonment.
12/11/201212:42 Experts believe that Medvedev used the interview not as an opportunity to tout his accomplishments as prime minister but to maintain and revitalize his image as a dynamic politician who is willing to speak on issues that go beyond his official responsibilities as prime minister.
11/14/201210:56 Russian voters are totally disillusioned and no longer see the elections as a tool capable of influencing their lives. First, they don’t believe that their presence and voting will change anything; second, they don’t believe that the result will be an honest one.
09/18/201210:04 The Putin-Medvedev tandem does not exist in the same form it did throughout the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev became the prime minister, but he does not have the same influence or authority that Putin had as prime minister. In comparing Medvedev to his predecessors, it could be said he has a similar level of influence as Viktor Chernomyrdin under no less an authoritarian President Boris Yeltsin.
08/27/201210:32 Russia’s current political structure leaves no room for any substantive parliamentary discussion. This new Expert Council will, at the very least, enable alternative viewpoints and proposals to be relayed to the prime minister, which should, at least to some extent, level out the flaws of the existing political system, which is crucial for the country’s future.
