Valdai Discussion Club pinned «UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the discussion is available via the same link. Stay tuned! 🎥 LIVE: at 12:00 noon Moscow time, we are starting an expert discussion, titled "BRICS and the Political Economy of the New World Order". https://vk.com/video…»
📷 On June 29, 2023, the Valdai Club held an expert discussion, titled "BRICS and the Political Economy of the New World Order".
Photo gallery of the discussion is available in this album.
The video of the discussion is available via this link.
Stay tuned!
🗣 🗣 🗣
Photo gallery of the discussion is available in this album.
The video of the discussion is available via this link.
Stay tuned!
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🇧🇷🇷🇺🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦 The main systemic characteristic of BRICS is that it is a community of revisionists, i. e. powers that did not set as their goal the destruction of the world order, but sought to achieve the inclusion of their interests in this order.
All its participants were able to extricate themselves from their previous plight thanks to the opportunities that the unjust international order led by the West gave them. All of them grew at the expense of resources, although they were dramatically curtailed in the realisation of their basic interests and values. Finally, none of the BRICS countries has plans to forcibly change the existing order of things, as revolutionary France, Germany and Japan have tried to do at one point or another over the past 250 years.
However, as contradictions accumulated in the world, even the modest revisionist wishes of the BRICS members became a factor that is leading, if not to the destruction of the existing international order, then to its most fundamental restructuring. Accordingly, the expectations regarding the BRICS countries are being shaped by their main partners, as well as opponents to their rise.
Many countries throughout the world are now looking at the BRICS as a group that can, if not pick up the banner of global governance from the West, then at least become its second pillar; one that is more just and less selfish in relation to the small and medium-sized states of the world. In other words, expectations about the role of the BRICS in world affairs are shaped independently of the will of the participants in this group: they become the product of the evolution of the entire international order in a direction whose main features we have yet to witness, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/brics-at-a-historical-turning-point-unexpected/
#Asia_and_Eurasia #BRICS
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All its participants were able to extricate themselves from their previous plight thanks to the opportunities that the unjust international order led by the West gave them. All of them grew at the expense of resources, although they were dramatically curtailed in the realisation of their basic interests and values. Finally, none of the BRICS countries has plans to forcibly change the existing order of things, as revolutionary France, Germany and Japan have tried to do at one point or another over the past 250 years.
However, as contradictions accumulated in the world, even the modest revisionist wishes of the BRICS members became a factor that is leading, if not to the destruction of the existing international order, then to its most fundamental restructuring. Accordingly, the expectations regarding the BRICS countries are being shaped by their main partners, as well as opponents to their rise.
Many countries throughout the world are now looking at the BRICS as a group that can, if not pick up the banner of global governance from the West, then at least become its second pillar; one that is more just and less selfish in relation to the small and medium-sized states of the world. In other words, expectations about the role of the BRICS in world affairs are shaped independently of the will of the participants in this group: they become the product of the evolution of the entire international order in a direction whose main features we have yet to witness, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/brics-at-a-historical-turning-point-unexpected/
#Asia_and_Eurasia #BRICS
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Valdai Club
BRICS at a Historical Turning Point: Unexpected Challenges
The BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) was created in conditions where the universal power of the West had already entered a period of slow decline, but few had any doubts that the United States and Europe would be able to determine…
🔬🌎 The collective West has lost all interest in scientific revolutions and seeks to prevent them, using first of all measures of paradigm control.
Like the USSR, the West is now lagging behind and therefore less and less inclined to allow all sorts of freethinking. After all, those who enter into the discussion are those who expect to win it, writes Vyacheslav Shuper.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/science-s-domination-of-the-west-and-the-inequalit/
#Norms_and_Values #science #suverenity
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Like the USSR, the West is now lagging behind and therefore less and less inclined to allow all sorts of freethinking. After all, those who enter into the discussion are those who expect to win it, writes Vyacheslav Shuper.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/science-s-domination-of-the-west-and-the-inequalit/
#Norms_and_Values #science #suverenity
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🇧🇷🇷🇺🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦 The BRICS countries are increasingly asserting themselves on the global political stage, particularly in areas such as international negotiations, peacekeeping, and conflict resolution efforts.
It is important to understand that the BRICS countries are not aiming to replace the West; rather, they seek to achieve greater representation and influence in global affairs. The BRICS alliance advocates for a more equitable and inclusive global economic and political system.
One of the key areas where BRICS can make a significant impact is through joint investments in education, research and development, as well as in the sharing of knowledge and expertise. By leveraging their collective strengths, the BRICS countries have the potential to drive the transition to a more sustainable and equitable global economy. Their investments in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and renewable energy can position them as major drivers of global economic growth and innovation in the near future.
The BRICS countries are asserting themselves in global politics, aiming for greater representation and influence. They have the potential to drive global economic growth and innovation, particularly through investments in education and emerging technologies.
The development of a consolidated and constructive global governance model and potential trade using a common currency could further enhance their global influence and solidify their position as a powerful force in global leadership, writes Nivedita Das Kundu.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/brics-and-the-political-economy-of-the-new-world/
#Asia_and_Eurasia #BRICS
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It is important to understand that the BRICS countries are not aiming to replace the West; rather, they seek to achieve greater representation and influence in global affairs. The BRICS alliance advocates for a more equitable and inclusive global economic and political system.
One of the key areas where BRICS can make a significant impact is through joint investments in education, research and development, as well as in the sharing of knowledge and expertise. By leveraging their collective strengths, the BRICS countries have the potential to drive the transition to a more sustainable and equitable global economy. Their investments in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and renewable energy can position them as major drivers of global economic growth and innovation in the near future.
The BRICS countries are asserting themselves in global politics, aiming for greater representation and influence. They have the potential to drive global economic growth and innovation, particularly through investments in education and emerging technologies.
The development of a consolidated and constructive global governance model and potential trade using a common currency could further enhance their global influence and solidify their position as a powerful force in global leadership, writes Nivedita Das Kundu.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/brics-and-the-political-economy-of-the-new-world/
#Asia_and_Eurasia #BRICS
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Valdai Club
BRICS and the Political Economy of the New World Order
The BRICS countries are asserting themselves in global politics, aiming for greater representation and influence. They have the potential to drive global economic growth and innovation, particularly through investments in education and emerging technologies.…
🇧🇷🇷🇺🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦 BRICS as a Positive Alternative for a New World Order
On June 29, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “BRICS and the Political Economy of the New World Order.”
💬 The discussion moderator, Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, noted that the BRICS group arose in fundamentally different conditions from those which the world finds itself in now. Initially, it was intended to “edit” the international order without changing it radically. However, now that the traditional organizers of this order are failing, the world has high hopes for the BRICS.
💬 Pavel Knyazev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Sous-Sherpa of Russia to the BRICS, pointed to the crisis of the Western-centric neoliberal model of globalisation and the need to form a new world order that reflects the real needs of the so-called world majority, primarily the Global South and East. Against this background, the interest of the countries of the Global South in the activities of the BRICS continues to grow. The Ambassador emphasised that, although BRICS is a relatively young association, it has already developed a multifaceted architecture of interaction, dialogue and cooperation.
💬 Feng Shaolei, Dean and Professor of the School of International and Regional Studies at East China Normal University, outlined a number of factors that contribute to the transformation of the world order. These are increasing inflation in the West, the aggravation of the political and ideological struggle in the United States, and the situation in Ukraine. At the same time, in his opinion, the situation in the countries of the Global South is more stable. They are continuing to build up their economic potential. This promotes the interest of the BRICS group, which stands for the ideas of inclusiveness and development, rather than the re-division of the world; for independence against hegemony.
💬 Victoria Panova, HSE Vice-Rector for International Relations, stressed that it is especially important now not to lose the advantages that BRICS has. Despite the difficult environment, the group continues to be attractive and is seen as a source of positive alternatives, she said. This means that the BRICS members face a difficult task to maintain both the efficiency of the group and its inclusiveness.
💬 Nivedita Das Kundu, a Senior Fellow at York University and Academic Director of Liaison College, is convinced that BRICS is reshaping the world order, ensuring the transition of leadership from the Global West to the Global South and insisting on greater representativeness in global leadership. The BRICS countries are in favour of continuing the reform of multilateral institutions, particularly the UN, the World Bank and the IMF, in an effort to make the world more inclusive.
💬 Philani Mthembu, Executive Director at the Institute for Global Dialogue, South Africa, mentioned the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg – the first offline summit since the pandemic, and the most important in the past few years. According to him, the summit will focus on African countries and, in particular, on South Africa as a host country. He noted that the BRICS countries could play a big role on the African continent not only in trade, but also as a source of investment. Mthembu stressed that the differences between the BRICS countries only strengthens the group.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/brics-as-a-positive-alternative-for-a-new-world-order/
#Asia_and_Eurasia #BRICS
On June 29, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “BRICS and the Political Economy of the New World Order.”
💬 The discussion moderator, Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, noted that the BRICS group arose in fundamentally different conditions from those which the world finds itself in now. Initially, it was intended to “edit” the international order without changing it radically. However, now that the traditional organizers of this order are failing, the world has high hopes for the BRICS.
💬 Pavel Knyazev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Sous-Sherpa of Russia to the BRICS, pointed to the crisis of the Western-centric neoliberal model of globalisation and the need to form a new world order that reflects the real needs of the so-called world majority, primarily the Global South and East. Against this background, the interest of the countries of the Global South in the activities of the BRICS continues to grow. The Ambassador emphasised that, although BRICS is a relatively young association, it has already developed a multifaceted architecture of interaction, dialogue and cooperation.
💬 Feng Shaolei, Dean and Professor of the School of International and Regional Studies at East China Normal University, outlined a number of factors that contribute to the transformation of the world order. These are increasing inflation in the West, the aggravation of the political and ideological struggle in the United States, and the situation in Ukraine. At the same time, in his opinion, the situation in the countries of the Global South is more stable. They are continuing to build up their economic potential. This promotes the interest of the BRICS group, which stands for the ideas of inclusiveness and development, rather than the re-division of the world; for independence against hegemony.
💬 Victoria Panova, HSE Vice-Rector for International Relations, stressed that it is especially important now not to lose the advantages that BRICS has. Despite the difficult environment, the group continues to be attractive and is seen as a source of positive alternatives, she said. This means that the BRICS members face a difficult task to maintain both the efficiency of the group and its inclusiveness.
💬 Nivedita Das Kundu, a Senior Fellow at York University and Academic Director of Liaison College, is convinced that BRICS is reshaping the world order, ensuring the transition of leadership from the Global West to the Global South and insisting on greater representativeness in global leadership. The BRICS countries are in favour of continuing the reform of multilateral institutions, particularly the UN, the World Bank and the IMF, in an effort to make the world more inclusive.
💬 Philani Mthembu, Executive Director at the Institute for Global Dialogue, South Africa, mentioned the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg – the first offline summit since the pandemic, and the most important in the past few years. According to him, the summit will focus on African countries and, in particular, on South Africa as a host country. He noted that the BRICS countries could play a big role on the African continent not only in trade, but also as a source of investment. Mthembu stressed that the differences between the BRICS countries only strengthens the group.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/brics-as-a-positive-alternative-for-a-new-world-order/
#Asia_and_Eurasia #BRICS
Valdai Club
BRICS as a Positive Alternative for a New World Order
On June 29, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “BRICS and the Political Economy of the New World Order.” The discussion moderator, Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, noted that the BRICS group arose in fundamentally…
⚔️ How will the current crisis end? There is currently no political solution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
The sustainability of any peace agreement, even if it is reached, is a big question. The West fears a sharp military escalation and a war with Russia, which could quickly turn into an exchange of nuclear strikes. However, NATO’s gradual military involvement in the conflict cannot be ruled out.
There will be no return to reality of 2021. Obviously, Russia will do everything possible to protect the new territorial status quo, as well as to undermine the military potential of Ukraine as much as possible. It is also obvious that the West will do everything possible to exhaust Russia, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Ivan Timofeev.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-west-rising-stakes/
#EconomicStatecraft #geopolitics #UkraineCrisis
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The sustainability of any peace agreement, even if it is reached, is a big question. The West fears a sharp military escalation and a war with Russia, which could quickly turn into an exchange of nuclear strikes. However, NATO’s gradual military involvement in the conflict cannot be ruled out.
There will be no return to reality of 2021. Obviously, Russia will do everything possible to protect the new territorial status quo, as well as to undermine the military potential of Ukraine as much as possible. It is also obvious that the West will do everything possible to exhaust Russia, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Ivan Timofeev.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-west-rising-stakes/
#EconomicStatecraft #geopolitics #UkraineCrisis
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🇷🇸🇷🇺 Serbia today remains practically the only state in Europe that, to one degree or another, maintains a dialogue with Russia.
🔹 At the moment, Serbia has not agreed to implement the West’s sanctions against Russia.
🔹 Between our two countries, air transit is maintained - the only direct regular flights between Russia and Europe outside the post-Soviet states and Turkey.
🔹 Trade ties are developing and cultural and humanitarian cooperation remains at a high level.
This special position of Serbia towards Russia has its own objective reasons.
1️⃣ One of them is the countries’ shared historical memory, as our perspectives resonate in several key respects. One of them is connected with the events of the recent past, with Russia's support for Serbia and Serbian society during the conflicts of the 1990s, which had an especially serious impact on the country. During the events that followed, connected both with the dynamics around Kosovo and with other aspects, Russia was also firmly on the side of Serbia.
2️⃣ Second, a large layer of common historical memory is associated with the perception of the much more distant past, both the events of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the eras preceding them. Orthodox unity has played and continues to play an important role here.
As a result, we can conclude that in the context of Russian-Serbian relations, historical memory has a direct and undeniable political significance. It determines not only a certain consonance in the orientations of the societies of our two countries, but also direct interests in political approaches on the part of the authorities of the two states.
Thus, the Russian-Serbian example can be considered a testament to the fact that historical memory is actually the very “soft power” that is much talked about in political theory, writes Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-and-serbia-in-the-modern-world/
#Norms_and_Values #Serbia
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🔹 At the moment, Serbia has not agreed to implement the West’s sanctions against Russia.
🔹 Between our two countries, air transit is maintained - the only direct regular flights between Russia and Europe outside the post-Soviet states and Turkey.
🔹 Trade ties are developing and cultural and humanitarian cooperation remains at a high level.
This special position of Serbia towards Russia has its own objective reasons.
1️⃣ One of them is the countries’ shared historical memory, as our perspectives resonate in several key respects. One of them is connected with the events of the recent past, with Russia's support for Serbia and Serbian society during the conflicts of the 1990s, which had an especially serious impact on the country. During the events that followed, connected both with the dynamics around Kosovo and with other aspects, Russia was also firmly on the side of Serbia.
2️⃣ Second, a large layer of common historical memory is associated with the perception of the much more distant past, both the events of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the eras preceding them. Orthodox unity has played and continues to play an important role here.
As a result, we can conclude that in the context of Russian-Serbian relations, historical memory has a direct and undeniable political significance. It determines not only a certain consonance in the orientations of the societies of our two countries, but also direct interests in political approaches on the part of the authorities of the two states.
Thus, the Russian-Serbian example can be considered a testament to the fact that historical memory is actually the very “soft power” that is much talked about in political theory, writes Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-and-serbia-in-the-modern-world/
#Norms_and_Values #Serbia
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Valdai Club
Russia and Serbia in the Modern World
Under the current conditions, it is possible to postulate a very fragile balance between the special position of Serbia in relation to Russia and its strategic course towards joining the European Union. This balance is influenced by both the international…
⏰ TODAY at 16:00 Moscow time (GMT +3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba.
❓What are the prospects for the development of relations between Moscow and Havana?
❓What is the position taken by Cuban officials and researchers on sensitive issues of contemporary international relations?
❓What is the specificity of US-Cuban relations at the current stage?
❓With whom can Russia compete for Cuba in the foreseeable future?
Participants of the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.
A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, Twitter, Telegram and Dzen.
🗣 🗣 🗣
❓What are the prospects for the development of relations between Moscow and Havana?
❓What is the position taken by Cuban officials and researchers on sensitive issues of contemporary international relations?
❓What is the specificity of US-Cuban relations at the current stage?
❓With whom can Russia compete for Cuba in the foreseeable future?
Participants of the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.
A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, Twitter, Telegram and Dzen.
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🇸🇾 The normalisation of Syria’s relations with the Arab world was the result of the gradual formation of an inter-Arab consensus on recognising the victory of the Syrian authorities in the fight against the opposition.
The latter was unable to consolidate its ranks and achieve military success, degrading and losing external support. The mass flows of Syrian refugees (according to the UN data for 2023, there were 5.4 million people from Syria in neighbouring countries) have become a burden on the economies of Jordan and Lebanon.
No less significant are the current de-escalation shifts in the system of international relations in the Middle East, namely, the normalisation of relations between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, the traditional rivals for influence in the region, which began with the mediation of China.
The Syrian-Turkish rapprochement with the assistance of Russia may soon be another move towards peace. The chances for the implementation of the corresponding road map, which was announced after the meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey on May 10 in Moscow, are increasing in light of statements made by Turkish President Erdogan about the possibility of his meeting with Bashar al-Assad.
Is Damascus’ success real, and how quickly will practical steps follow?
Despite the positive nature of the progress in the normalisation of relations between Syria and the Arab world, the content and speed of this process remain unclear. Along with incentives — the desire of the states of the Middle East to strengthen sovereignty, the Iranian-Saudi “détente” and good prospects for economic cooperation, there are obstacles. The main ones are American sanctions that impede the formation of a regional platform for the reconstruction of Syria, Igor Matveev writes.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/syria-return-to-arab-league-what-next/
#ModernDiplomacy #Syria #ArabLeague #MiddleEast
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The latter was unable to consolidate its ranks and achieve military success, degrading and losing external support. The mass flows of Syrian refugees (according to the UN data for 2023, there were 5.4 million people from Syria in neighbouring countries) have become a burden on the economies of Jordan and Lebanon.
No less significant are the current de-escalation shifts in the system of international relations in the Middle East, namely, the normalisation of relations between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, the traditional rivals for influence in the region, which began with the mediation of China.
The Syrian-Turkish rapprochement with the assistance of Russia may soon be another move towards peace. The chances for the implementation of the corresponding road map, which was announced after the meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey on May 10 in Moscow, are increasing in light of statements made by Turkish President Erdogan about the possibility of his meeting with Bashar al-Assad.
Is Damascus’ success real, and how quickly will practical steps follow?
Despite the positive nature of the progress in the normalisation of relations between Syria and the Arab world, the content and speed of this process remain unclear. Along with incentives — the desire of the states of the Middle East to strengthen sovereignty, the Iranian-Saudi “détente” and good prospects for economic cooperation, there are obstacles. The main ones are American sanctions that impede the formation of a regional platform for the reconstruction of Syria, Igor Matveev writes.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/syria-return-to-arab-league-what-next/
#ModernDiplomacy #Syria #ArabLeague #MiddleEast
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Valdai Club
Syria’s Return to the Arab League: What Next?
Despite the positive nature of the progress in the normalisation of relations between Syria and the Arab world, the content and speed of this process remain unclear. Along with incentives — the desire of the states of the Middle East to strengthen sovereignty…
UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the discussion is available via the same link. Stay tuned!
🎥 LIVE: at 16:00 Moscow time (GMT +3), we are starting an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba.
https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239105
#ModernDiplomacy #Cuba
🗣 🗣 🗣
🎥 LIVE: at 16:00 Moscow time (GMT +3), we are starting an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba.
https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239105
#ModernDiplomacy #Cuba
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Vk
LIVE: Relations Between Russia and Cuba. An Expert Discussion
On July 6 at 4:00 pm Moscow time (GMT +3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba. More: https://valdaiclub.com/multimedia/video/relations-between-russia-and-cuba/
Valdai Discussion Club pinned «UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the discussion is available via the same link. Stay tuned! 🎥 LIVE: at 16:00 Moscow time (GMT +3), we are starting an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba. https://vk.com/video…»
📷 On July 6, 2023, the Valdai Club held an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba.
Photo gallery of the discussion is available in this album.
The video of the discussion is available via this link.
Stay tuned!
🗣 🗣 🗣
Photo gallery of the discussion is available in this album.
The video of the discussion is available via this link.
Stay tuned!
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🇷🇺🇨🇺 Russia, Cuba and ‘Emotional Geography’
On July 6, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba.
💬 Moderator Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, stressed that Cuba, as during the times of the Cuban Missile Crisis, remains one of the central subjects of world geopolitics. He also noted that Russian-Cuban relations have a long history, and in recent years have received a significant boost.
💬 Dmitry Rozental, acting director of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, having examined the history of relations between Russia and Cuba, pointed out that the two countries have always been close to each other. At the same time, Cuba has defended its own principles in international politics. In 2016, Russia experienced a surge of interest in Cuba after the post-Soviet chill. Trade and economic relations intensified at the same time. Today there are two main areas of Russian-Cuban cooperation – energy and infrastructure.
💬 Jose Ramon Cabañas, director of CIPI (Cuba), Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the United States (2012-2021) noted that a lot is changing now – the world is in a transition period. He expressed hope that as a result of these changes, Russian-Cuban ties will become even stronger. Relations between Russia and Cuba have great potential, although this is not the relationship that linked Cuba with the Soviet Union. Recognising the importance of historical ties and historical friendship between the two countries’ peoples, Cabañas noted that in the new world, interaction should be built in a new way.
💬 Italian geopolitical analyst Emanuel Pietrobon argued that Europeans perceive the Cuban issue and in general everything that happens in Latin America as an internal affair of the United States. “We are talking about the so-called ‘emotional geography’ – if the country is far away, then we simply do not see what is happening there,” he explained. At the same time, Pietrobon considers Cuba one of the most important countries in the world from a geostrategic point of view. Its geographical position is such that it is possible to challenge the United States from its territory. That is why the United States has historically always tried to take Cuba under control it in its zone of influence. The Cuban revolution of 1959 broke this “chokehold”, the expert stressed, and now Cuba remains a truly independent country, whose government is guided by national interests.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/russia-cuba-and-emotional-geography/
#ModernDiplomacy #Cuba #RussianArmy
🗣 🗣 🗣
On July 6, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba.
💬 Moderator Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, stressed that Cuba, as during the times of the Cuban Missile Crisis, remains one of the central subjects of world geopolitics. He also noted that Russian-Cuban relations have a long history, and in recent years have received a significant boost.
💬 Dmitry Rozental, acting director of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, having examined the history of relations between Russia and Cuba, pointed out that the two countries have always been close to each other. At the same time, Cuba has defended its own principles in international politics. In 2016, Russia experienced a surge of interest in Cuba after the post-Soviet chill. Trade and economic relations intensified at the same time. Today there are two main areas of Russian-Cuban cooperation – energy and infrastructure.
💬 Jose Ramon Cabañas, director of CIPI (Cuba), Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the United States (2012-2021) noted that a lot is changing now – the world is in a transition period. He expressed hope that as a result of these changes, Russian-Cuban ties will become even stronger. Relations between Russia and Cuba have great potential, although this is not the relationship that linked Cuba with the Soviet Union. Recognising the importance of historical ties and historical friendship between the two countries’ peoples, Cabañas noted that in the new world, interaction should be built in a new way.
💬 Italian geopolitical analyst Emanuel Pietrobon argued that Europeans perceive the Cuban issue and in general everything that happens in Latin America as an internal affair of the United States. “We are talking about the so-called ‘emotional geography’ – if the country is far away, then we simply do not see what is happening there,” he explained. At the same time, Pietrobon considers Cuba one of the most important countries in the world from a geostrategic point of view. Its geographical position is such that it is possible to challenge the United States from its territory. That is why the United States has historically always tried to take Cuba under control it in its zone of influence. The Cuban revolution of 1959 broke this “chokehold”, the expert stressed, and now Cuba remains a truly independent country, whose government is guided by national interests.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/russia-cuba-and-emotional-geography/
#ModernDiplomacy #Cuba #RussianArmy
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Valdai Club
Russia, Cuba and ‘Emotional Geography’
On July 6, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the current state of bilateral relations between Russia and Cuba. Moderator Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, stressed that Cuba, as during the times of the Cuban Missile Crisis…
🌍 Africa has become an important geopolitical actor.
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Tokyo International Conferences on African Development (TICAD), and US-Africa Summit in what has been termed as Africa+1 summit demonstrate that. In 2019, the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi was used to reset Russia’s recent engagement with Africa.
Africa and African leaders can utilise the summit diplomacy and needs to leverage its newfound centrality in global power play.
With Russia’s recent diplomatic charm offensive in Africa, some have argued that Africa is at the centre of a new Cold War while others have called it the new scramble for Africa.
Coupled with China’s foothold in the continent in the past decade, it is increasingly becoming clear that Africa is at the centre of a geopolitical contest, writes Nicodemus Minde.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/africa-at-the-centre-of-a-geopolitical-battle/
#Norms_and_Values #Africa
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The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Tokyo International Conferences on African Development (TICAD), and US-Africa Summit in what has been termed as Africa+1 summit demonstrate that. In 2019, the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi was used to reset Russia’s recent engagement with Africa.
Africa and African leaders can utilise the summit diplomacy and needs to leverage its newfound centrality in global power play.
With Russia’s recent diplomatic charm offensive in Africa, some have argued that Africa is at the centre of a new Cold War while others have called it the new scramble for Africa.
Coupled with China’s foothold in the continent in the past decade, it is increasingly becoming clear that Africa is at the centre of a geopolitical contest, writes Nicodemus Minde.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/africa-at-the-centre-of-a-geopolitical-battle/
#Norms_and_Values #Africa
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Valdai Club
Africa at the Centre of a Geopolitical Battle: What Is at Stake for Africa in the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg?
The idea of Africa as a global balancing power is entrenched in the notion of the balance of power, which in stricter terms refers to the distribution of power among states as the major actors in international relations in order to prevent any one state from…
🌏 For a long time to come, external factors will remain a major security threat to the Central Asian countries. There is no doubt about it. However, in assessing security risks, more attention should be paid to internal factors as well as external threats.
Both terrorist activities and “colour revolutions” are mainly caused by domestic factors, and mainly carried out by domestic forces. Even foreign terrorist groups targeting Central Asian states are mostly comprised of those states’ own citizens. Of course, internal and external factors are intertwined and difficult to separate, but internal factors are fundamental.
Since internal problems present the greatest risk, the main way to maintain security and stability in Central Asia should be the elimination of internal problems, even if the barrier to external dangers should be built first and foremost at home.
In fact, the Central Asian countries have become increasingly aware of it, and the reforms underway in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are aimed at this end, writes Zhao Huasheng.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/central-asia-in-change-where-do-security-risks/
#Азия_и_Евразия #CentralAsia
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Both terrorist activities and “colour revolutions” are mainly caused by domestic factors, and mainly carried out by domestic forces. Even foreign terrorist groups targeting Central Asian states are mostly comprised of those states’ own citizens. Of course, internal and external factors are intertwined and difficult to separate, but internal factors are fundamental.
Since internal problems present the greatest risk, the main way to maintain security and stability in Central Asia should be the elimination of internal problems, even if the barrier to external dangers should be built first and foremost at home.
In fact, the Central Asian countries have become increasingly aware of it, and the reforms underway in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are aimed at this end, writes Zhao Huasheng.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/central-asia-in-change-where-do-security-risks/
#Азия_и_Евразия #CentralAsia
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Valdai Club
Central Asia in Change: Where Do Security Risks Come From?
Since internal problems present the greatest risk, the main way to maintain security and stability in Central Asia should be the elimination of internal problems, even if the barrier to external dangers should be built first and foremost at home. In fact…
🇪🇺🚫 The European Union has introduced its eleventh package of sanctions against Russia.
The main intrigue of the package was restrictive measures against foreign countries and organisations that interact with Russia. It pertains to cooperation in those areas that are one way or another under EU sanctions.
Obviously, when developing new mechanisms, the EU was guided by the rich experience of the United States. Americans have been using three tools for a long time – secondary sanctions, the expansion of export restrictions, and criminal and administrative prosecutions. In the first case, the US Treasury simply imposes blocking sanctions on individuals and entities that are suspected of circumventing sanctions. Such measures were widely used against Russian counterparties abroad under all large packages of US sanctions in 2023.
The question is: how exactly will the European Union achieve the promotion of its export control rules and other sanctions against Russia abroad?
The course towards the economic blockade of Russia continues. Russia itself continues its policy of adapting to new restrictive measures, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Ivan Timofeev.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/eleventh-package-of-eu-sanctions-what-s-new/
#EconomicStatecraft #EU #sanctions
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The main intrigue of the package was restrictive measures against foreign countries and organisations that interact with Russia. It pertains to cooperation in those areas that are one way or another under EU sanctions.
Obviously, when developing new mechanisms, the EU was guided by the rich experience of the United States. Americans have been using three tools for a long time – secondary sanctions, the expansion of export restrictions, and criminal and administrative prosecutions. In the first case, the US Treasury simply imposes blocking sanctions on individuals and entities that are suspected of circumventing sanctions. Such measures were widely used against Russian counterparties abroad under all large packages of US sanctions in 2023.
The question is: how exactly will the European Union achieve the promotion of its export control rules and other sanctions against Russia abroad?
The course towards the economic blockade of Russia continues. Russia itself continues its policy of adapting to new restrictive measures, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Ivan Timofeev.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/eleventh-package-of-eu-sanctions-what-s-new/
#EconomicStatecraft #EU #sanctions
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Valdai Club
Eleventh Package of EU Sanctions. What’s New?
The course towards the economic blockade of Russia continues. Russia itself continues its policy of adapting to new restrictive measures, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Ivan Timofeev.
⚔️ Hans Morgenthau, another prominent realist of the first half of the 20th century, wrote that war will not end until human nature is imperfect.
International relations are still well explained by the metaphors and maxims used in the History of the Peloponnesian War by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, when he commented on the rivalry between Athens and Sparta.
Russia’s break with the West is not a short-term phenomenon. Perhaps we are at the beginning of a long crisis that could last a decade or more.
The British historian Edward Carr once retrospectively described the 20-year period between the world wars as a “long crisis”. I admit that we are also at the beginning of a “new long crisis”, of which the Ukrainian crisis is only a part. It is also completely open whether or not everything will be limited to the conflict in Ukraine.
In the Russian tradition of training diplomats and analysts, disciplines are emphasised to make it possible to understand the true needs and interests of opposing partners. It is not necessary that if you understand them well, you will agree with them. This means that in the event of a conflict, you can, first, find a weak spot in the positions of the counterparty, and, second, let him understand that his needs can be satisfied in another acceptable way, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-ukrainian-crisis-as-a-laboratory/
#ModernDiplomacy #UkraineCrisis #diplomacy
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International relations are still well explained by the metaphors and maxims used in the History of the Peloponnesian War by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, when he commented on the rivalry between Athens and Sparta.
Russia’s break with the West is not a short-term phenomenon. Perhaps we are at the beginning of a long crisis that could last a decade or more.
The British historian Edward Carr once retrospectively described the 20-year period between the world wars as a “long crisis”. I admit that we are also at the beginning of a “new long crisis”, of which the Ukrainian crisis is only a part. It is also completely open whether or not everything will be limited to the conflict in Ukraine.
In the Russian tradition of training diplomats and analysts, disciplines are emphasised to make it possible to understand the true needs and interests of opposing partners. It is not necessary that if you understand them well, you will agree with them. This means that in the event of a conflict, you can, first, find a weak spot in the positions of the counterparty, and, second, let him understand that his needs can be satisfied in another acceptable way, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-ukrainian-crisis-as-a-laboratory/
#ModernDiplomacy #UkraineCrisis #diplomacy
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The Ukrainian Crisis as a Laboratory of World Politics of the 21st Century
It is difficult for us to conduct a dialogue with Westerners and more and more often there is nothing to talk about at all: they use clichés and ideological theses, stubbornly try to promote their narrow-mindedness, and are completely unprepared for a reasoned…
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🌎 North Atlantic Treaty, signed on April 4, 1949, established NATO, a US-led military bloc to counter the Soviet Union. Later, there were nine enlargements of the organisation.
Learn more about the history of NATO's expansion and its current state in our video infographic.
#valdai_infogaphics #NATO #expansion
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Learn more about the history of NATO's expansion and its current state in our video infographic.
#valdai_infogaphics #NATO #expansion
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📍The one-day conference on the eve of the second Russia-Africa summit will be held at the Corinthia Hotel, at 57 Nevsky Prospect.
More than 60 people from 12 countries have been invited to participate in the Valdai Club’s first African Conference, including guests from Algeria, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Ruanda, Russia and South Africa. Most of the guests are involved in the process of foreign policy planning in their countries. It can be expected, therefore, that the recommendations and results of the Valdai Club conference will have an applied nature and will fall on the table of leaders on the eve of the summit on July 27-28. The Valdai Club Conference will actually become the final synchronisation of watches at the expert level in the run-up to the summit.
In the new geopolitical conditions, Africa is becoming one of priorities of the Russian foreign policy. The Russian-African conference is aimed at holding a frank conversation about how Russian and African experts see the future development of the world, Russia’s position on the African continent, how the parties can interact in new economic, political and social conditions, and how to take relations to a new level, strengthening the traditional political solidarity.
📑 A new Valdai Club report, “Russia and Africa: An Audit of Relations” has been prepared for the conference; its presentation will take place on July 18 in Moscow. The report analyses relations in various fields since the first Russia-Africa summit in 2019. The report will shape the basis of discussions at the conference.
The conference agenda includes four sessions, each followed by media scrum:
🔹 Political dialogue between Russia and African countries: mutual understanding in a turbulent world;
🔹 Economic relations: an audit three years after the first Russia-Africa summit;
🔹 Culture, education, human connections: how to bring Russia and Africa closer to each other;
🔹 Soviet legacy in Africa: from the past to the future and general discussion.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/the-african-conference-of-the-valdai-discussion-club/
ℹ️ Information for the media: Dear journalists, in order to be accredited to the event, please fill out the form on our web site. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763. Accreditation will end on July 24 at 17:00 Moscow time (GMT+3).
A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, Twitter, Telegram and Dzen.
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The African Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club
On July 25, 2023, St. Petersburg will host the Russian-African Conference of the Valdai Club, titled “Russia and African Countries: Established Traditions of Interaction and Prospects for Cooperation in a New World”. The one-day conference on the eve of the…
Valdai Discussion Club pinned «🗣 #AfricanValdai: On July 25, 2023, St. Petersburg will host the Russian-African Conference of the Valdai Club, titled “Russia and African Countries: Established Traditions of Interaction and Prospects for Cooperation in a New World”. 📍The one-day conference…»