War and Peace in the 21st Century. Presentation of the Valdai Club Report in London
London

On February 9, 2016, the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom hosted the presentation of the Valdai Club’s annual report, titled "War and Peace in the 21st Century. International Stability and Balance of the New Type".

The research was conducted in the wake of debates at last year’s 12th Annual Meeting of the Club, attended by political and public leaders, prominent experts from over 30 countries.

In his remarks during the presentation, Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, said that by 2030 the existing chaotic world system can be replaced by a new one, based on two major groups of states: the Broader West (the United States and the European Union) and the Greater Eurasia (Russia, China, and India).
Lukyanov said the new system would be better structured and more stable, thanks to a “reduced number of actors”. But this does not mean a new Cold War-situation with two major blocs separated by an iron curtain from one another, he stressed.

The authors of the Valdai Club report believe that the current crisis in international relations can be solved by addressing its root cause, which is mutual distrust between Russia and the West. This opinion was echoed by participants in the discussion, which followed the report presentation.

While the 20th-century ideologies promised to build a paradise on earth, now it is time to get more realistic approach, Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, said in his remarks. “We do not know what the future will prepare for us. The important idea of this report is that we should try to avoid hell on earth instead of trying to build a paradise,” he concluded.

According to reports of TASS and other news agencies.