Valdai Club

Tehran, April 8-9, 2018

April 8

11.00-12.00 Meeting with H.E. Dr. Mohammad Javad ZARIF, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran

15.00-17.00 Meeting with H.E. Dr. Ali Akbar VELAYATI, Senior Advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran

April 9

09.00-09.30 Opening of the Dialogue (with the participation of media)

• Seyed Kazem SAJJADPOUR, President, Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS)
• Andrey BYSTRITSKIY, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
• Mehdi SANAEI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary  of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Federation
• Fyodor LUKYANOV, Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

09:30-10.45 Session 1. International Level: Ongoing Developments in the International System

How have the United States’ policies changed over the past year and what can be expected? Prospects for the European Union to overcome its internal crisis. China’s new goals and the role of Beijing in the world. Changes in the structure of the world economy.

• Evgeny KOZHOKIN, Vice President, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University)
• Seyed Kazem SAJJADPOUR, President, Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Andrey BAKLITSKIY, Consultant at PIR Center, Research Fellow at the Center for Global Trends and International Organizations at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry
• Hossain MALAEK, Senior Research Fellow, Former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to China
• Bahador AMINIAN, Professor of the School for International Relation, Former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania

11.15-12.30 Session 2. Regional Developments: Middle East

What’s next for Syria? Prospects of the Russia – Iran – Turkey triangle. Can old conflicts aggravate and new ones emerge? To what extent did the United States’ decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel influence the prospects of the Middle East processes?

• Konstantin TRUEVTSEV, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
• Mohammad Reza SHEIBANI, Senior Research Fellow, Former Deputy Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Syria 
• Vasily KUZNETSOV, Head, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
• Alireza BIKDELI, Senior Research Fellow, Former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Turkey
• Jahangir KARAMI, Associate Professor of Tehran University

14.00-15.15 Session 3. Regional Developments: Eurasia and Afghanistan

How is the situation in Greater Eurasia going to evolve? What are the prospects of the Eurasian Economic Union? Russia – China relations and their impact on the overall situation. Prospects for settlement in Afghanistan.  

• Timofey BORDACHEV, Program Director, Valdai Discussion Club; Director, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics
• Morteza DAMANPAK-JAMI, Vice President, Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS)
• Mandana TISHEHYAR, Assistant Professor of Allameh Tabatabaei University (ATU), Director of International Academic cooperation in ATU
• Andrei SUSHENTSOV, Program Director, Valdai Discussion Club; Associate Professor, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University); Head, Foreign Policy Advisory Group
• Seyed Rasoul MOUSAVI, Advisor for Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Finland

15.45-17.00 Session 4. Iran-Russia Relations

What is needed for a strategic partnership to take shape? Trade and economic relations, cooperation on the energy market, regional transportation projects. Influence of external factors. Potential opportunities.

• Alexander MARIASOV, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Islamic Republic of Iran (2001-2005), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Thailand and Permanent Representative to UN ESCAP (2010-2014)
• Abbas MALEKI, Professor of Energy Policy in Sharif University, Senior Associate at Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of Harvard Kennedy School  
• Manoocher MORADI, Head of the Office for Russian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Kyrgyz Republic 
• Lana RAVANDI-FADAI, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy Sciences
• Elaheh KOULAIE, Associate Professor of Tehran University, Former Member of Parliament (Majlis Shooraye Islami)

17.00-17.45 Special Session: Discussing on Iran and Russia on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

Speaker:

• H.E. Dr. Abbas ARAGCHI, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs
  

17.45-18.00 Closing remarks

• Andrey BYSTRITSKIY, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
• Seyed Kazem SAJJADPOUR, President, Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS)

18.00-18.30 Briefing for journalists

• Seyed Mohammad Kazem SAJJADPOUR President, Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS)
• Andrey BYSTRITSKIY, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
• Mehdi SANAEI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Federation
• Fyodor LUKYANOV, Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

Moderators of the sessions:

• Seyed Kazem SAJJADPOUR, President, Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS)
• Fyodor LUKYANOV, Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club