Valdai Club

On June 28, at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential for the development of Iranian-Russian relations.

The internal political situation in Iran has traditionally aroused considerable interest in Russia, as this country is associated with several international projects that are priorities for Moscow, including the development of the North-South transport and logistics corridors, military-technical cooperation, efforts towards stability in the Middle East, and the peaceful resolution of inter-state conflicts in South Caucasus.

Iran is currently one of the major players in the global stage, consistently pursuing a sovereign foreign policy in the Middle East and maintaining relations with major world powers. Furthermore, in recent years, Iran has actively expanded its participation in new international frameworks, joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2022 and BRICS in January 2024.

What are the current political and economic circumstances in Iran, and what could be the outcomes of the upcoming presidential election on June 28? What are some of the key achievements and future prospects for relations between Iran and Russia? How could the election results impact the development of Russia-Iran cooperation? These and other questions will be discussed by participants.

Speakers:

• Vitaly Naumkin, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Doctor of Historical Sciences; Professor; Academic Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
• Kayhan Barzegar, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Research Unit of the Islamic Azad University (Iran)
• Alexander Maryasov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Thailand and Permanent Representative to ESCAP (2010-2014), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Iran (2001-2005)

Moderator:

• Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club

Working languages: English, Russian.