Valdai Club

On March 22 the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “A World Without START: What’s Next?” Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Dmitry Trenin, Research Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Leading Researcher, IMEMO RAS; Evgeny Buzhinsky, Lieutenant General (ret.), Chairman of the PIR Centre Council; Robert Legvold, Marshall D. Shulman Professor Emeritus, Columbia University, and Director of the Euro-Atlantic Security Initiative, participated. The event was moderated by Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.

On March 20, the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion, titled “Iraq Twenty Years On: What the American Intervention Led to.” Mohammed Ihsan, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, King’s College, London; Maxim Suchkov, Director of the Institute for International Studies, MGIMO, Russian Foreign Ministry; Elbrus Kutrashev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Iraq, participated. The discussion was moderated by Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.

On February 28 — March 1, the Valdai Club, with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, held the 12th Middle East Conference. The participants of the fifth session discussed the strategies of the states of the region and their role in the emerging polycentric world order.

On February 28 — March 1, the Valdai Club, with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is holding the 12thMiddle East Conference. During the fourth session, experts talked about how key energy trends look like and how stable they are in the context of the crisis.

On February 28 — March 1, the Valdai Discussion Club, with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, hosts its 12th Middle East Conference, titled “The New Middle East and the Security Crisis in Europe: Effects of Mutual Influence”. The participants of the third session discussed the prospects for a new North-South Transport Corridor.

On February 28 — March 1, the Valdai Discussion Club, with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, hosts its 12th Middle East Conference, titled “The New Middle East and the Security Crisis in Europe: Effects of Mutual Influence”. The participants of the second session discussed the Ukrainian crisis and its implications for the Middle East.

On February 28 — March 1, the Valdai Discussion Club, with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, hosts its 12th Middle East Conference, titled “The New Middle East and the Security Crisis in Europe: Effects of Mutual Influence”. The conference was opened by Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club. The participants of the first session discussed, in particular, the possibility of creating an inclusive regional security system.

On February 20, on the eve of the 12th Middle East Conference, the Valdai Discussion Club presented a report, titled “The Middle East and the Future of the Polycentric World.” Vitaly Naumkin, Scientific Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (co-author of the report); Vasily Kuznetsov, Head of the Center for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (co-author of the report); Yahya Zubir, Senior Fellow, Middle East Global Affairs Council (Qatar); Çağrı Erhan, Rector, Altinbas University, participated. The event was moderated by Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club.

On February 16, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “Russia and the Struggle Against Neo-Colonialism: The End of the Western Dictate?”   Dmitry Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN; Vasily Koltashov, director of the Institute of the New Society; Keith Bennett, researcher, consultant on China’s international relations, co-editor of the Friends of Socialist China platform (United States); Radhika Desai, Professor at the Department of Political Studies and Director, Geopolitical Economy Research Group, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Rasigan Maharajh, Chief Director of the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation at the Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa), participated. The event was moderated by Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.

On February 15, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion in partnership with the Iranian Institute of Political and International Studies (IPIS), dedicated to relations between Russia and Iran in the face of confrontation with the West. Alexander Maryasov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Iran (2001-2005); Adlan Margoev, Research Fellow, Centre for Middle East Studies, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO, Russian Foreign Ministry; Khalil Shirqolami, Vice-President for Research, IPIS; Ali Eqbali, Head of the Study Group for Eurasia, IPIS; Alireza Miryousefi, Head of the Study Group for International issues, IPIS; Manuchehr Moradi, Senior Expert, IPIS, participated. The discussion was moderated by Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.