Valdai Club

2019

Asia – Eurasia

Timofei Bordachev

Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Academic Supervisor of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE)

Since 2013 the Valdai Discussion Club has been at the forefront of conceptualizing and discussing Russia’s turn to the East, becoming in 2015 the leading think tank on international cooperation in the Eurasian space. Each year the Valdai Club holds a series of events as part of this program, including the Asian Regional Conference, the Russian-Chinese Conference, and the Russia-Kazakhstan Expert Forum, which all bring together prominent experts from across the region. The Valdai Club is expected to contribute to preparations for the business program of the Eastern Economic Forum. In addition, the program provides for conducting in-depth analysis in the form of regular reports and papers. In 2019, the program will focus on the development of the Comprehensive Eurasian Partnership and Eurasian integration, strategic prospects for strengthening Russia’s positions in Asia, as well as devising practical recommendations to promote deeper economic and political cooperation in the region.

Opinions

Asia and Eurasia in a Multipolar World

Regional processes, the activity of middle states, as well as the unchanging policy of the balance of power in relations with the great powers, will create a demand for the active involvement of Russia in solving a number of local issues and problems. Moreover, the internal transformation processes in most of Russia’s neighbouring countries are just entering a decisive stage, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.

Timofei Bordachev

Reports

The Eurasian Chord and the Oceanic Ring: Russia and India as the Third Force in a New World Order

The world is on the threshold of a new Cold War. The new war will be waged between the United States and China. Moscow and New Delhi may respond by forming an unofficial, non-military alliance, which could be termed the Peaceful Development Movement. The aim of forging such a space of co-development would be to continue positive globalization while also searching for fairer alternatives to the existing world order.

Alexei Kupriyanov, Alexander Korolev

THE EASTERN PERSPECTIVE

Eurasian Economic Integration: Between Absolute and Relative Benefits

A collision of interests is always part of any integration process, growing more dramatic and multidimensional the more comprehensive an integration endeavour becomes. This is particularly clear from the record of the most advanced integration project in history, the European Union, which saw periods of ‘eurosclerosis’, direct sabotage by member countries (e.g. a six-month boycott of the European Commission in 1965–1966 by France), and the failures of the constitutional referendum in the Netherlands and France in May 2005. The main fork in the road for Eurasian integration today is the lack of convenient ‘integration scales’: a deeper integration implies more heated conflicts, and it becomes more difficult to gauge the effects of integration decision-making. However, the main advantage of the existing situation is that it is natural.

Timofei Bordachev, Anastasia Likhacheva, Alexander Korolev, Ivan Safranchuk, Olga Malashenkova, Daria Malyutina

Valdai Papers

The Asian Mirror for the Far East: An Indian Perspective

India and Russia have long shared geopolitical perspectives on the balance of power in Eurasia. In the post-Cold War era both turned their attention to the West. However, over the past decade India has pursued the Look East Policy, seeking to regain its political and economic influence in Southeast Asia and building new strategic partnerships with East Asian powers like Japan and South Korea.

Russian Far East Development from the Korean Perspective

With the Putin government since 2000, Russia’s interest in Northeast Asia and the APR began to increase, and a new Turn to the East policy began in earnest after the beginning of Putin’s third term as a president in 2012. This policy was underpinned by two factors.

Australia’s Approach to Cooperation with Russia

Russia’s Far East and Siberia have much in common with Australia in terms of geopolitical, geo-economic, and even sociopolitical characteristics. However, Russia-Australia economic cooperation has been showing a downward trend over the last decade.

Alexander Korolev

Developing the Far East and Chinese-Russian Relations: New Perceptions and New Practices

The practices of interaction between Northeast China and the Russian Far East during 2009-2018 demonstrate the big potential in bilateral cooperation in the region. Meanwhile, such practices also hold implications for future collaboration. Under the framework of ‘conjunction’ between China and Russia, the two countries are exploring a more effective and sustainable pattern of participation.

Feng Shaolei, Cui Heng

THE EASTERN PERSPECTIVE

Japan and the Development of the Russian Far East

The main objective for the Shinzo Abe administration’s active engagement in supporting the involvement of Japanese companies in the development of the Russian Far East is to create favourable environment for resolution of the territorial issue and conclusion of a peace treaty with Russia.