Valdai Discussion Club
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⚠️🌐 Global risks do not recognise boundaries. Humanity is experiencing general and complex threats of economic fragmentation and planetary degradation. The COVID-19 pandemic is not the biggest threat of 2022.

We created an infographic on global risks and challenges in 2022. The full high-res infographic is available here.

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
💡Dear friends! We just added a list of speakers to the programme of the Valdai Club Middle East conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”.

📌 Programme

👥 List of speakers

The Conference #MIDDLE_EAST2022 will be held on February 21–22 with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Live broadcasts of open sessions will be available on our website in English, Russian and Arabic.

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🇦🇺🇬🇧🇺🇸 Why does anyone think the new AUKUS partnership is such a big deal?

Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, certainly thinks it is. He portrayed it as his country’s “single greatest [security] initiative” in seventy years.

The AUKUS headlines focused on the US and UK offering to share naval nuclear propulsion technology with Australia. They didn’t mention the main reason why submarines need nuclear propulsion. There is one primary mission for nuclear-powered attack submarines, and it is a mission that cannot be performed by their diesel-electric competitors. Nuclear-powered attack submarines hunt, track, and (in extremis) kill nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines.

The “forever” in AUKUS isn’t the long wait for delivery of the subs. It’s the forever of nuclear Armageddon.

Australia’s accession to AUKUS will not result in any net gain to the alliance’s nuclear submarine numbers for decades to come. But it will give the alliance a meaningful, capable base at the fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific region, in a politically-stable country that is unlikely ever to withdraw from the partnership, writes Salvatore Babones, Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney.

🔗 Understanding the ‘Forever’ Alliance: What AUKUS Means for Australia and the World

💡 We welcome polemics and invite to discussion all those who have a different perspective of the issue covered by the author.

#EconomicStatecraft #Australia #AUKUS

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🕹🚁 It is becoming obvious that the arms race in the 21st century will not only be a race of nuclear missiles, but also a race of combat drones.

Modern warfare, on a tactical level, is becoming less distinguishable from a computer game.

This feeling of having power over life and death, the right to execute and pardon, which, we repeat, is the most important aspect of that seductive aesthetics of war in computer games, has now been transferred into reality.

📝 As a result, aesthetics triumph over ethics in the most important issue — human life, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.

🔗 Combat Drones: Aesthetics and Ethics of War

#Norms_and_Values #UAVs #drones

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🪙🌐 The recent years spent by the global community in battling the pandemic have elicited some success in overcoming the economic decline sustained in 2020.

Notwithstanding the lack of international cooperation in economic policy coordination, within the raft of anti-crisis measures launched by governments and Central Banks new approaches and instruments of economic policy have been employed to address the unprecedented blow to the economy.

But while on the economic front the global economy has recovered from the lows of the pandemic-driven decline, in the sphere of international relations and international diplomacy the crisis has only further deepened leading to calls for new approaches and tools to be employed.

Could some of the policy rules and strategies be carried over from the tested grounds of economic policy into the increasingly unstable arena of international relations? Writes Yaroslav Lissovolik, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.

🔗 Economic Policy Rules in the Service of International Diplomacy

#Valdai_WorldEconomy

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🌎⚡️🌏 The current configuration of the World Order has no more room for a single nation to decide the entire world agenda, whether in geopolitics or economics.

International relations are now entering a stage that we could qualify as a “Late Post-Cold War Era”, an era when American supremacy is in the process of being overcome by the new reality of the country: its geopolitical decline.

Fears that Russia is growing stronger as a nation under more capable leadership have taken root in Washington. Successive US administrations have sought to classify Russia as a threat to European or global “security” without offering any concrete examples.

NATO’s attempt to move “towards” Russia by establishing a Ukrainian “beachhead” has been developing since late 2021 and has faced vigorous opposition from the Kremlin.

What is now at stake in Ukraine regarding NATO membership is whether Russia as a nation has the right to guarantee the minimum security conditions for its population and territory, writes Charles Pennaforte, Professor at the Federal University of Pelotas (Brazil).

🔗 The Strategic Partnership Between Moscow and Beijing Towards the Late Post-Cold War Era

#ModernDiplomacy #geopolitics #security

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🇺🇸🇺🇦🇷🇺 Both the situation around Ukraine and concerning the Russian-Western negotiations on security guarantees look contradictory.

🔹 On the one hand, the parties firmly continue to stand their ground on fundamental issues of European security, above all on NATO expansion and Russia's right to limit the boundaries of this expansion. At the same time, the United States and NATO are building up their military presence on the eastern flank of the alliance and military assistance to Ukraine (which directly opposes Russian demands), while Kiev still categorically refuses to implement the key provisions of the Minsk agreements (for example, on direct dialogue with the DPR and LPR) and insists on their revision or replacement.

🔹 On the other hand, there have been a series of talks between Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, who clearly promoted some steps for Moscow and Kiev to implement the Minsk agreements and reduce the severity of the issue of Ukraine's accession to NATO. Putin also spoke  to with Joe Biden, with whom these proposals were certainly coordinated. Following these, Russia made a “de-escalating” statement that it would continue negotiations with the West, and announced the cessation of the active phase of military exercises near the Ukrainian borders and a partial withdrawal of troops.

However, just a few hours after these statements, more military aggravation has begun in Donbass.

In Ukraine, one could come to the dangerous conclusion that since the Russian “invasion” scheduled by Joe Biden for February 16 did not take place, and the West is still unable to put the necessary pressure on it (and some in the West are even encouraging Kiev to take more decisive action), then it is possible to do whatever you want without fear of military reaction from Moscow.

The new escalation in Donbass may reflect this very logic. It remains to be hoped that in Washington and Western Europe they will give Ukraine a slap on the wrist on time, and the lesson of the mass evacuation of Western diplomatic personnel from Kiev with US and NATO assurances that they will not go to war with Russia at Ukraine’s expense will not be taken for granted, writes Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow.

🔗 Russia-West: Continuation of a Managed Escalation

#Ukraine #Donbas #NATO #UnitedStates

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
📆 TOMORROW, on February 21, the eleventh Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club will start with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This year's agenda is “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and the Intertwinement of Interests”.

🌐 About 90 international and Russian experts, politicians and intellectuals from 25 countries, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Britain, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Nigeria, Russia, the UAE, and the USA will take part in the Middle East Conference. The conference is expected to be opened by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Faisal Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, will also be a guest of honour at the conference this year.

📌 Programme

👥 List of speakers

Live broadcasts of open sessions will be available at valdaiclub.com in English, Arabic and Russian.

📷 ©Reuters
📌 #MIDDLE_EAST2022: Programme of the first day of the Valdai Club Middle East conference with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”

📆 February 21, Monday

10:30–10:40 — Opening of the conference (Live: in Englishin Russianin Arabic)

10:40–11:30 — Session 1. Russian Agenda in the Middle East: Priorities for 2022 (Live: in Englishin Russianin Arabic)

Russia remains a key actor in the Middle East, using the entire spectrum of its political, diplomatic and military capabilities in this part of the world. This session is devoted to the main areas of activity of Russian diplomacy and politics in the coming period.

12:00–13:30 — Session 2. Looking to the Future of Energy Markets: How Not to Turn the Green Transition into an Energy Crisis

The Green Agenda is becoming the leitmotif of international politics and economics. Leading powers are revising their strategies considering the fact that the climatic factor will increasingly impact decision making. Energy producing countries will have to balance on the brink. Coordination of efforts is more important than ever.

14:30–16:00 — Session 3. Collective Security Systems: New Principles for a New Stage (Live: in Englishin Russianin Arabic)

Security systems are in crisis. The problems in the Middle East, East Asia and the Asia-Pacific are raising the question of what an effective balance will look like on the next historical stage.
The purpose of this session is to highlight the Russian interpretation of how to approach the issues of ensuring regional security from Europe to East Asia, from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan in a new era.

16:30–18:00 — Session 4. Rebuilding the Economy on a New Basis: How Russia and the Middle East Can Seize Post-Crisis Opportunities (Live: in Englishin Russianin Arabic)

Whenever the pandemic ends, the phase of economic recovery will begin in any case, but most likely, economic approaches will have to be substantially revised. Russia and the countries of the Middle East have different economic opportunities, which often complement each other. What can Russia offer to the region, and what is it counting on itself?

🔗 Programme of the Valdai Club Middle East conference

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the session will be available soon via the same link. Stay tuned!

🎥 LIVE (in English): Russian Agenda in the Middle East: Priorities for 2022. Opening and First Session of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference

The live broadcast starts at 10:30 a.m. Moscow Time

Russia remains a key actor in the Middle East, using the entire spectrum of its political, diplomatic and military capabilities in this part of the world. Although serious problems persist in region, the situation there is much more stable than it was five or six years ago. Moscow is gradually changing the nature of its presence, with emergency “firefighting” being replaced by systematic work to build long-term stabilization and development arrangements. Russia’s relations with a number of countries are fully consistent with the concept of “strategic partnership.”

This session is devoted to the main areas of activity of Russian diplomacy and politics in the coming period.

Working languages: English, ArabicRussian.

📌 Read the Programme for details.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🇷🇺🌍 Does Russia need a new Middle East strategy?

This is the first question that springs to mind. After all, Russia has been quite successful, in some cases even outperforming the Soviet Union. In fact, Russia has succeeded in developing a close relationship with Israel while maintaining its trust-based ties with Palestine, as well as building an alliance with Syria all while strengthening relations with Iran, which used to call the USSR a “Little Satan”. Who could have imagined all that?

Russian Middle East policy stands on three main pillars:

1️⃣ The first one deals with ensuring security and defence.

2️⃣ The second one consists of building Greater Eurasia.

3️⃣ The third pillar is designed to create a favourable international framework for Russia’s technological transition and achieving technological breakthroughs.

Life moves on, and the Middle East is rapidly changing. Just as importantly, the global balance of power is also shifting.

With everything changing so quickly, how do you save what you already have while keeping up with the latest developments and trends, but without overexerting oneself on matters that are too far to be worth the effort?

A new Valdai Club report “New Middle East Strategy: Countries and Focal Points” has been prepared especially for the Middle East conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” and devoted to Russia's relations with individual countries and sub-regions within the Middle East in different dimensions – bilateral and multilateral.

🔗 Russia’s New Middle East Strategy: Countries and Focal Points

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🇷🇺🌍 Middle East: Hotbeds of Tension and Russia's Priorities — INFOGRAPHIC

The infographic has been prepared especially for the new Valdai Club report “New Middle East Strategy: Countries and Focal Points” within the framework of the Middle East conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”.

🔗 The full high-res infographic is available on our website.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Discussion Club pinned «🇷🇺🌍 Does Russia need a new Middle East strategy? This is the first question that springs to mind. After all, Russia has been quite successful, in some cases even outperforming the Soviet Union. In fact, Russia has succeeded in developing a close relationship…»
📷 Session 2 “Looking to the Future of Energy Markets: How Not to Turn the Green Transition into an Energy Crisis” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

📌 The Valdai Club Middle East Conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” is taking place on February 21-22 and is hosted with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👉 Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🎥 LIVE (in English): Session 3 “Collective Security Systems: New Principles for a New Stage” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

Live broadcast of the third session starts at 2:30 p.m. Moscow Time

Security systems are in crisis. This is especially noticeable in Europe, where it was believed that no problems should arise. However, the principles established after the Cold War do not work, since they were based on the interests of only one side. The unlimited expansion of NATO has led to the emergence of new tensions that cannot be eliminated without revising a number of basic principles. Nevertheless, Europe is just one of the manifestations of the general trend. The system of alliances and relations in the field of security inherited from the twentieth century requires qualitatively different approaches around the world. The problems in the Middle East, East Asia and the Asia-Pacific are raising the question of what an effective balance will look like on the next historical stage.

The purpose of this session is to highlight the Russian interpretation of how to approach the issues of ensuring regional security from Europe to East Asia, from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan in a new era. The failed attempt to create a world order based on Western security institutions requires enhanced action and a flight of imagination.

Working languages: English, ArabicRussian.

📌 Read the Programme for details.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🎥 LIVE (in English): Session 4 “Rebuilding the Economy on a New Basis: How Russia and the Middle East Can Seize Post-Crisis Opportunities” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

Live broadcast of the third session starts at 4:30 p.m. Moscow Time

Whenever the pandemic ends, the phase of economic recovery will begin in any case, but most likely, economic approaches will have to be substantially revised. The general conditions of economic activity in the world are changing, globalization is entering a new phase. Russia and the countries of the Middle East have different economic opportunities, which often complement each other. What can Russia offer to the region, and what is it counting on itself?

Working languages: English, ArabicRussian.

📌 Read the Programme for details.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
📷 Session 3 “Collective Security Systems: New Principles for a New Stage” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

📌 The Valdai Club Middle East Conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” is taking place on February 21-22 and is hosted with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👉 Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

🎞 The video of the discussion will be available via this link soon.

Stay tuned!
📷 Session 4 “Rebuilding the Economy on a New Basis: How Russia and the Middle East Can Seize Post-Crisis Opportunities” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

📌 The Valdai Club Middle East Conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” is taking place on February 21-22 and is hosted with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👉 Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

🎞 The video of the discussion will be available via this link soon.

Stay tuned!

#MIDDLE_EAST2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🛣 Although the agreement to establish the multimodal International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) was signed 20 years ago, the corridor is still not operational.

However, there are now a number of factors that will support the INSTC’s successful operation. These include:

▪️The EAEU’s increased engagement with India, Iran, and other South Asian and Gulf countries

▪️The substantial potential for linking the INSTC with latitudinal transport routes

▪️Accelerated digitalisation processes, and a dramatic strengthening of the climate agenda.

The main advantage of the  North-South international transport corridor over other routes is a significant reduction in the time spent on transportation.

Its launch would contribute to the formation of a macro-regional transport and logistics system - the Eurasian transport framework, which will serve as the basis for the development of trade and investment partnerships within Eurasia, says Evgeny Vinokurov, speaking at the fourth session of the 11th Valdai Club Middle East Conference – 2022. We publish the main theses of his speech.

🔗 Russia and Middle East Need International North-South Transport Corridor

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast #Eurasia #Transport

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
📌 #MIDDLE_EAST2022: Programme of the second day of the Valdai Club Middle East conference with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”

📆 February 22, Tuesday

09:30–10:30 — Meeting with Faisal Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic (Live: in Englishin Russianin Arabic)

11:00–12:30 — Session 5. World-Changing Migration: The Dilemma Between Humanism and Maintaining Stability

Migration is becoming one of the most significant socio-political and economic processes that has a growing impact on both origin and destination countries. That requires a comprehensive strategy that takes into account humanitarian needs, but does not allow migration flows to turn into a factor of destabilization of states.

13:00–14:30 — Session 6. Cultural Change and Societal Attitudes: Are Young People Embracing a Traditionalist Message?

The pandemic has accelerated complex social processes around the world, including cultural and social stratification, also between generations. How to combine the aspirations of different generations and develop a model of society that is resistant to the challenges of a disordered world?

🔗 Programme of the Valdai Club Middle East conference

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club