Valdai Club

On February 25-26, 2016, the Valdai Discussion Club held a conference titled "The Middle East: From Violence to Security" in partnership with the Institute of Oriental Studies (Russian Academy of Sciences).

PROGRAMME

CONCEPT AGENDA

In 2016, the Middle East saw civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen; humanitarian catastrophes; an escalation of rivalry between regional states; the involvement of global players; further expansion of the instability zone; and a surge of terrorism.

The key to shifting from violence to stable development lies in engineering collaboration between the principal actors and coalitions, de-escalating conflicts, developing confidence-building measures and fostering a balance of interests on the regional and intrastate levels.

The idea of universal security in the Middle East seems utopian today, but there is a pressing need to discuss a solution strategy, which will be the focus of the 5th Middle East Dialogue of the Valdai Discussion Club.

The conference program will consist of the following sessions:

- The Middle East in a whirlwind of changes
- Conflicts in the Middle East and prospects for their resolution
- Terrorism in the Middle East and methods of combating it
- Economic development and effective governance in the Middle East
- Russia and Eurasia: meeting Middle East challenges
- Cooperation opportunities for global and regional powers in the Middle East
- Toward a new regional security system in the Middle East

The conference will be attended by about a hundred political, public and religious leaders, as well as experts from Russia, Arab states of the Middle East and North Africa, Iran, Turkey, Europe and the US.

The working languages of the conference are Russian, English and Arabic.

More details about the conference are available online at http://valdaiclub.com/.

Venue: Moscow, 10.00


For more information, please call: +7 (926) 930-77-63 or e-mail: press@valdaiclub.com






Session 1. The Middle East in a Whirlwind of Change



Session 2. Conflicts in the Middle East and the Prospects of Their Settlement





Session 3. Terrorism in the Middle East and Methods of Combating It



Session 4. Economic Development and Effective Governance in the Middle East



Presentation of Report ISIS as Portrayed by Foreign Media and Mass Culture




Session 5. Russia and Eurasia: Meeting Middle East Challenges




Session 6. Cooperation Opportunities for Global and Regional Powers in the Middle East




Session 7. Towards a New Regional Security System in the Middle East




Position Paper: The Middle East: From Conflicts to Stability



Valdai Club Hosts Bouthania Shaaban, Aide to President Assad





Bouthaina Shaaban : Syrian People Will Never Accept Partition of Syria




Image Gallery: Bouthania Shaaban, an aide to the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, meets with Valdai Club experts





Valdai Club Report: ISIS as Portrayed by Foreign Media and Mass Culture





Where the Middle East Goes? By Vitaly Naumkin




Tales of the New Old Middle East. By Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou



Is There a Chance to Stop the Syrian Disaster? By Alexander Aksenyonok



Why a Destabilized Middle East is Not-So-Against Western Interests? Interview with Elias Samo




In Search of a New Middle East. Interview with Hamadi Redissi




Why Turkish and Saudi Boots on the Ground in Syria Can Be Undesirable for Washington. By Irina Zvyagelskaya




Saudi or Turkish Invasion of Syria Could Ruin Geneva Peace Talks. By Kayhan Barzegar




Middle East Security Architecture ‘Race’ Is On. By Alastair Crooke




Middle East: Insane to Be an Optimist? By P.R. Kumaraswamy




Agreement on Syria Gives an Opportunity and a Little Time to Move Forward. Interview with Paul J. Saunders




US-Russian Deal for Syrian Ceasefire is Only Option That Leads to De-Escalation. Interview with Irina Zvyagelskaya



Infographics: Middle East: Military Power and Foreign Military Presence





Infographics: Who Bombs ISIS in Siria and Iraq




Infographics: Oil and Economy in the Middle East