The report, prepared by a group of leading Russian experts on the Middle East on the basis of the third conference of the Valdai Club Middle East section that was held in Sochi on February 17-18 , examines the impact of the “Arab Spring” on the formation of a new regional alignment of forces and the external intervention in the processes occurring in the Arab East.
The authors argue that the transformation is far from over and that the powerful revolutions that engulfed the region can still shift the regional balance of power. As one of the main results, the influence of Islamists on politics increased dramatically. Another important outcome of the Arab Spring is that it has strengthened two non-Arab Mid-Eastern states – Turkey and Iran.
Apart from the assessment of the current situation the report offers a number of scenarios of transformations in the Arab world, as well as advices on the Russian strategy in the region. Among other things the experts accentuated the need for Russia to develop pragmatic and mutually beneficial relations with the democratically elected Islamist regimes.
The report was presented in Moscow on June, 8 by its authors: Prof. Vitaly NAUMKIN , Director, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS); Corresponding Member, RAS; Amb. Alexander AKSENYONOK , Advisor to the Chairman and Managing Director, Vnesheconombank; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Member, Association of the Russian Diplomats; Prof. Irina ZVYAGELSKAYA , Chief Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS and Vasily KUZNETSOV, Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS; Deputy Head, Chair of Regional Problems, Faculty of World Politics, Lomonosov Moscow State University.
