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🇷🇺 February 24 marks the first anniversary of the start of the special military operation (SMO) announced by the Russian leadership. This day a year ago, without any exaggeration, was one that divided Russian history into “before” and “after”.

It is clear that great things are seen at a distance, and trying now to provide any kind of “final” assessment of what is happening and determine its historical significance, would be approximately the same as reflecting in autumn of 1918 on the historical significance of the October Revolution that took place a year before. Then, the whole struggle was still ahead. The same can be said now. How the wheel of history would turn, no one knew in 1918, and no one knows today.

If we talk about the perception of the past year in Russian society, then we can start, oddly enough at first glance, with semantics and semiotics — in relation to the very abbreviation “SMO”.

The term “war”, as we all know, is being avoided in official Russian discourse. To a certain extent, how willingly this or that Russian uses this phrase “special military operation” in his speech can serve as a marker of his attitude to what is happening, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-first-year-of-the-conflict-the-semantics/

#Norms_and_Values #SMO #MilitaryOperation #UkraineCrisis

@valdai_club
🇷🇺🤝 A year after the United States and its allies announced their determination to seriously limit Moscow’s opportunities for international communication, the vast majority of countries maintain stable working relations with Russia; they trade and cooperate in various sectors.

We still have to work on developing a number of important habits and come to an understanding of the nature of relations between Russia and the outside world.

1️⃣ First of all, it is necessary to understand that the new quality of relations with the outside world cannot be considered in the context of the conflict between Russia and the West. The way most states behaved towards Russia is a consequence of their own development and interests.

2️⃣ Second, the behaviour of those states that do not now oppose Russia and even cooperate with it (which has become commonplace) is not a sign that they are allies of Moscow or are slated to become allies under certain circumstances. In general, the so-called World Majority is not a group of states united by common interests, but an indicator of the democratic state of international politics.

3️⃣ Third, a significant number of states are friendly to Russia precisely because, in principle, they do not need allies or patrons, and rely only on their diplomatic skills. In other words, what brings them closer to Russia’s interests now is at the same time an obstacle to establishing a more solid or formalised relationship.

A year into the conflict between Russia and the West turning into a proxy military confrontation, the most important lesson learned in terms of the international consequences of these developments is that such a large and powerful country really cannot be isolated in terms of foreign policy, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/how-russia-can-build-relations-with-friendly/

#Asia_and_Eurasia #Russia #NonWesternWorld

@valdai_club
📆 TOMORROW, on February 28, at 11:30 Moscow Time, the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference, titled “The New Middle East and the Security Crisis in Europe: Effects of Mutual Influence,” will start.

The two-day conference will be held at the Club’s Moscow office with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👥 The Middle East Conference will be attended by about 50 leading experts dealing with the region, including active politicians and intellectuals from 18 countries, including Algeria, China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and UAE.

During the conference, the experts will discuss the following issues:

🔹 Prospects for a regional security system in the Middle East;

🔹 The Ukrainian crisis and Middle Eastern countries;

🔹 The transformation of the transport and logistics system of Eurasia under Western restrictions;

🔹 Impact of the international crisis on the hydrocarbon market;

🔹 Formation of a polycentric system in the Middle East.

A new Valdai Club report has been prepared specially for the Middle East conference, titled “The Middle East and the Future of the Polycentric World”, which examines the position of the region in the global system.

Working languages: English, Arabic, Russian.

ℹ️ Information for the media: Accreditation will conclude on February 27 at 5:00 pm, Moscow Time.

📌 Programme

Open sessions will be broadcast on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the 
websiteTwitterVKontakteTelegram and Zen.

#mideastvaldai #valdaiclub #valdai_programme #MiddleEast

@valdai_club
🌍 Today, the Middle East is going through a very important and in many ways new stage in its development.

On the one hand, the global development crisis has led to numerous challenges for the countries of the region; on the other hand, it also generates new opportunities. Yes, there are still many conflicts, contradictions, and traces of a very heavy historical legacy. But at the same time, some experts confidently talk about the "New Middle East."

There are reasons; above all, the amazing dynamics of development in many countries of the region. Here we are talking not only about obvious economic successes. We can also talk about socio-political progress, about the emergence of new identities, about the rethinking by societies of their position in the world, and their role in the development of the world as a whole.

The search for opportunities for sustainable development is the semantic core of the policy of the "New Middle East". Curiously, the countries of the region do not seek isolation at all; rather, on the contrary, they hope to expand ties with the outside world, but via a balanced expansion in which these countries will be able to independently construct the reality in which they want to live. Incidentally, Russia plays an important role in the desired balance, from the point of view of the countries of the region.

So the upcoming, already traditional 12th Valdai Club Middle East Conference will be devoted to the very important issues that affect the current situation in the Middle East, the state of affairs that has developed as a result of the developing global crisis, the prospects for the development of the region, and what role the Middle East can and wants to play in the emerging polycentric world.

The Middle East has a chance to find a new destiny and a new role in the emerging world order, writes Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation of the Valdai Discussion Club.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/chairman-speech/the-middle-east-the-end-of-eternity/

📌 Programme 12th Middle East Conference

#mideastvaldai #valdaiclub #valdai_programme #MiddleEast

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👑🌐 What makes a true superpower stand above the rest?

Until now, the key criteria for a “superpower” have mainly been considered by scholars in a material way. A superpower must have economic potential that far exceeds that of other countries, military power, critical technologies, a developed scientific and industrial base, and human capital. The totality of such material opportunities provides measurable, albeit not controversial, criteria for ranking countries.

The situation with non-material factors is much more complicated. Their quantitative measurement is difficult, if not impossible. Their assessment is too subjective and potentially vulnerable to distortion. Whose culture is stronger? Whose ethics are correct? Whose value system is better? Such questions lead to value-oriented disputes, but do little to distinguish the superpowers from other players in the international arena. Meanwhile, this is where one of the most important criteria lies.

The Valdai Club Programme Director Ivan Timofeev writes that a noticeable difference between a superpower and other states, along with the superiority of material factors, is the presence of a systemic and consistent political philosophy of international relations. The superpower offers its own unique view of how exactly the world should be arranged, according to what rules it should exist, what its goal is, and why this particular superpower is legitimate in its role.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/political-philosophy-an-attribute-of-a-superpower/

#EconomicStatecraft #superpower #worldorder #UnitedStates #China

@valdai_club
📌 Today at 11:30 Moscow Time, the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference, titled “The New Middle East and the Security Crisis in Europe: Effects of Mutual Influence,” will start.

📆 Programme of the first day — February 28, Tuesday

11.30 — Opening of the Conference
(live broadcast: in Russianin Englishin Arabic)

11:45–13:15 — Session 1. The Middle East and International Order: Towards a New Regional Security System? (live broadcast: in Russianin Englishin Arabic)

The Middle East continues to be burdened by long-standing problems – the settlement in Syria, the Yemeni conflict, the civil standoff in Iraq, and the aggravating Kurdish question. Apart from them, new ones have emerged: the interconnection between the South Caucasus and the Middle East instability, the problems in food and energy supplies, the echoes of the hostilities in Ukraine. As the US presence in the region is diminishing, China and India are taking the lead in the economy. What impact do these processes have on regional dynamics? Is there a prospect for an inclusive regional security system?

14:30–16:00 — Session 2. The Ukrainian Crisis and Its Implications for the Middle East

The crumbling of international order is accelerating in Eastern Europe, which has seen a clash of interests of Russia and the West. Having originated in Europe, the crisis has significant economic implications for the Middle East, caused by the disorganization of transport, energy, production chains and food security. How deep and lasting will the impact of the international crisis on regional processes be?

16:15–17:45 — Session 3. Logistics of the 21st century: Prospects for a New North-South Transport Corridor

Along with the problems, the crisis also brings opportunities: the opening of new forms of economic cooperation in Eurasia, the transition to trade in national currencies, the creation of new transport corridors along the North-South route and others. How have transport routes changed amid the crisis and what opportunities are emerging for new logistics projects on the continent?

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/programme-of-the-12th-middle-east-conference-of-the-valdai-discussion-club-the-new-middle-east-and-t/

Open sessions will be broadcast on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the websiteTwitterVKontakteTelegram and Zen.

#mideastvaldai #valdaiclub #valdai_programme #MiddleEast

@valdai_club
🌍 The Middle East appears almost redundant in this new brutal and uncertain reality.

The violent upheavals that unfolded there over a decade drew everyone’s attention, but now they have suddenly found themselves almost on the fringes of international politics.

During the first decade that followed the Arab Spring, the situation in the region was dominated by armed conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen. However, the situation has changed.

Conflicts continue there, but they have lost their central role. The Middle East seems to have been put on hold, and the differences between Iran and Israel, which are made known occasionally, or rivalry between Algeria and Morocco, do little to change the long- established overall picture.

In addition to existing conflicts, the prerequisites for new ones are arising, primarily in Lebanon.
the situation is quite alarming: the Middle East is overflowing with contradictions, ongoing and potential crises and conflicts, its future is vague, and the formation of a new regional leadership will entail another transformation of the regional subsystem.

Add to that the fact that the place of the region in global politics is determined not only by the above intra-regional processes, but also by the impact of the external factors on the region, write the authors of a new Valdai Club report, titled , titled “The Middle East and the Future of the Polycentric World.”

https://t.iss.one/valdai_club/1923

#mideastvaldai #valdai_report #MiddleEast
UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the discussion is available via the same link. Stay tuned!

🎥 LIVE: at 11:30 Moscow Time, the opening of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference will take place in Moscow. Session 1, titled “The Middle East and International Order: Towards a New Regional Security System?” will follow.

Live broadcast in English

Live broadcast
 in Arabic

Live broadcast
 in Russian

#mideastvaldai #MiddleEast #WorldOrder

@valdai_club
Valdai Discussion Club pinned «UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the discussion is available via the same link. Stay tuned! 🎥 LIVE: at 11:30 Moscow Time, the opening of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference will take place in Moscow. Session 1, titled “The Middle East and…»
📷 Today, February 28, the opening of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference took place in Moscow. Session 1, titled “The Middle East and International Order: Towards a New Regional Security System?” followed the opening.

Follow this link to see the photos.

The video of the discussion is available here.

#mideastvaldai

@valdai_club
🇷🇺🇩🇿 Russia and Algeria have a long history of economic and military cooperation, dating back to the Soviet era.

In recent years, this relationship has been reinforced by a shared interest in countering US dominance and promoting a multipolar world.

Algeria’s role in this relationship is significant, as it provides Russia with access to important resources and markets in the region. This, in turn, gives Russia a strong foothold in the MENA region, which is a key strategic area for its global interests.

Algeria’s strong ties to Russia are helping to counterbalance US dominance and promote a more stable and equitable world order, where multiple actors have the ability to shape global events and influence the future, writes Algerian political journalist Akram Kharief.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-end-of-us-hegemony-and-the-russian-algerian/

📌 This article was prepared for the 12th Middle East conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.

#mideastvaldai #Algeria

@valdai_club
📷 Session 2 of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference, titled “The Ukrainian Crisis and Its Implications for the Middle East.”

Follow this link to see the photos.

#mideastvaldai

@valdai_club
🛣 The North-South Multimodal International Transport Corridor (ITC) connects the northwestern part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Scandinavian countries with the states of Central Asia, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

☑️ The corridor includes the infrastructure of rail, road and inland water transport, seaports in the Caspian Sea, ports of the Persian Gulf, road and rail checkpoints, as well as international airports.

☑️ It makes it possible to halve the delivery time of goods from India to Europe compared to the sea route through the Suez Canal, and to multiply container transit along the China-EAEU-Europe axis.

Especially for the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference, we prepared an infographic on the International North-South Transport Corridor. The high-res infographic is available on the website.

#mideastvaldai #valdai_infographics #EAEU #transportation

@valdai_club
📷 Session 3 of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference, titled “Logistics of the 21st century: Prospects for a New North-South Transport Corridor.”

Follow this link to see the photos.

#mideastvaldai

@valdai_club
🛤 The emergence of “New Economic Order” would transform the way logistics and transport in global market is being carried out.

In the wake of Special Military Operation in Ukraine, the Russian economy is adapting its logistics to tackle the emerging situation, to deal with the sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union.

Russia is improving its ties with non-Western allies particularly Asia and Eurasia for market diversification. As a result, Russia is giving major attention to long delayed International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is now being considered as the potential economic pathway for Russia against the sanctions.

The North-South Transport Corridor member countries must contribute effectively for the overall development of corridor i.e., the improvement of inland waterways, security of container and general cargo terminals in Caspian ports, the modernization of border crossing points and the construction of logistics hubs and roadside service facilities, writes Muhammad Athar Javed, founder, CEO of Pakistan House, especially for the 12th Valdai Club Middle East conference.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/logistics-of-the-21st-century-new-economic-order/

#mideastvaldai #Eurasia #transportation

@valdai_club
📌 Programme of the second day of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference “The New Middle East and the Security Crisis in Europe: Effects of Mutual Influence”

📆 March 1, Wednesday

10:30–12:00 — Session 4. Key Energy Trends: OPEC+, Russia’s Role, Reformatting the Global Market (live broadcast)

The West’s economic war against Russia is stimulating a repartition of the global energy market. While the US is focused on forcing Russia out of the European market, the Asian states are becoming the main source of demand. This is where the interests of Moscow and the OPEC+ states coincide. What do the main trends in global energy look like and how sustainable are they in crisis conditions? How likely are dramatic changes in the global market structure?

12:30–14:00 — Session 5. The Age of Sovereignty: Key Middle Eastern Countries’ Foreign Policy Priorities (live broadcast)

International order in the Middle East is once again in the hands of the states of the region, rather than external forces. The main regional centres of influence, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Algeria, and others are participating in the process of creating a new security system. What are the strategies of the states in the region? What role do they see for themselves in the emerging polycentric world order?

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/programme-of-the-12th-middle-east-conference-of-the-valdai-discussion-club-the-new-middle-east-and-t/

Open sessions will be broadcast on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the 
websiteTwitterVKontakteTelegram and Zen.

#mideastvaldai #valdaiclub #valdai_programme #MiddleEast

@valdai_club
Valdai Discussion Club pinned «🎥 LIVE: At 10:30 a.m. Moscow time Session 4 of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference, titled “Key Energy Trends: OPEC+, Russia’s Role, Reformatting the Global Market,” will start. Live broadcast in English Live broadcast in Arabic Live broadcast in…»
📷 Session 4 of the Valdai Club 12th Middle East Conference, titled “Key Energy Trends: OPEC+, Russia’s Role, Reformatting the Global Market”

Photo gallery.

The video of the session is available via this link.

#mideastvaldai #Middleeast #OPEC

@valdai_club