Celebrating 20 Years of Valdai. On Sept. 2, 2004, the first meeting of the Club, “Russia at the Turn of the Century: Hopes and Reality”, opened in Veliky Novgorod, and on Sept. 6, the Club’s experts met Vladimir Putin for the first time in Novo-Ogaryovo. It was decided to make the Club’s meetings annual, and the name “Valdai Discussion Club” was adopted.
Over the past twenty years, more than 9,000 academics and researchers, politicians and political scientists, public and cultural figures from dozens of countries around the world have taken part in the work of the Club.
Since its inception, the Club has been committed to the principles of academic freedom, respect for different points of view, and has contributed to the creation of an international expert community ready for an open, unbiased conversation about the most pressing problems. We are grateful to our founders for the very idea of creating the Club and for their contribution to its work, as well as to everyone who has supported it over the years with their work and ideas. Without them, the Club would not have existed, much less become a key global platform for discussion.
We extend our gratitude to all who have wished the Club a happy anniversary.
We will continue to bring together the world in an atmosphere of freedom of thought, constructive discussion and friendly gatherings at the Valdai Club.
Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
