On March 26, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion titled “Ghosts of the ’Great Game’: Could the South Caucasus and Central Asia Become a Space for Great Power Rivalry?”
The concept of inevitable great power rivalry in the South Caucasus and Central Asia is a product of the colonial era of international politics and is based on the premise that these regions play a dependent role. Today, however, the states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia are persistently striving to independently determine the priorities of their foreign policy and economic relations.
Processes in these regions can no longer be considered outside a broader, global context. Integration with the global market and understanding their place in international institutions remain the most important tasks for the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Russia, for its part, is not merely an interested observer but also seeks to assist its neighbors in addressing development challenges and increasing resilience to external pressures.
How do events in the Middle East affect the states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia? What internal development challenges do they face today? What is the potential for internal conflicts and international cooperation in the region?
Nubara Kulieva, Junior Research Fellow, Center for Comprehensive International Studies, Higher School of Economics
Nivedita Das Kundu, Professor, Faculty of International Relations, Uzbek State World Languages University
Kubatbek Rakhimov, Executive Director of the Applicata — Center for Strategic Solutions Public Foundation (Kyrgyzstan)
Geoffrey Roberts, Emeritus Professor of History, University College Cork, Ireland
Ilya Fabrichnikov, MGIMO lecturer, member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and communications consultant
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English.