🎥 LIVE: An expert discussion dedicated to the role of the UN in the changing world order.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239147

#ModernDiplomacy #UN

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🗣 On November 22, 2023, the Valdai Discussion Club held an expert discussion dedicated to the role of the UN in the changing world order.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#ModernDiplomacy #UN

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🇺🇳 The UN as the Air of World Order

On November 22, 2023, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the role of the UN in the changing world order. Moderator Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club, emphasised that the United Nations remains a unique platform for discussing global challenges and resolving crises.

💬 Vladimir Kuznetsov, director of the UN Information Centre in Moscow, briefly reviewed the history of the Organisation and noted that the creation of the UN and the adoption of its charter laid the foundation for the entire post-war security system. Now the world has changed, and the question arises whether the United Nations is capable of meeting the needs of humanity amid the new conditions. Answering this question, Kuznetsov emphasised that the UN in any case remains the cornerstone and an integral part of the world order.

💬 Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to the UN (2013-2014) and Honorary Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation, described India's position in the United Nations. He emphasised that India is one of the founding members of the Organisation. According to him, India has made and continues to make great contributions to the activities of the UN. It takes an active part in peacekeeping operations and sustainable development programmes.

💬 Vladimir Grachev, Head of the Expert Council on Geopolitics of the Just World Institute, former senior advisor to the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General (1997–2003) and director of the Conference Management Office of the UN Office in Geneva (2006–2014), also believes that in a changing world the UN has to adapt to new challenges, and believes it is necessary to reform the Organisation to some extent.

💬 The presence of the UN in the global agenda is like air: if it is removed, we will immediately feel a shortage, said Vladimir Chernigov, President of the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute and of the non-profit organisation For School Nutrition. In his opinion, the topic of food security can become one of the pillars of the new UN system.

💬 “Reforms should be aimed at returning the UN to its main original goal - maintaining peace,” said Altinbash University Rector Çağrı Erhan. Despite the importance of the humanitarian agenda, the UN’s main task is to save the next generations from war, ensure human rights and the equality of nations, and maintain international peace and security. The current UN mechanisms cannot cope with these tasks; that is why the question of reform arises, Erhan added.

💬 Mikatekiso Kubayi, Researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue at UNISA and Research Fellow at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Dialogue (South Africa), presented an African perspective on the problem. According to him, Africa definitely wants to reform the UN, sharing in this sense the sentiments of the whole world. This is especially significant against the backdrop of the Global South gaining weight and subjectivity.

💬 According to Alexey Borisov, Secretary General of the Russian Association for the United Nations and Vice-President of the World Federation of UN Associations, the organisation still maintains its effectiveness on many issues. At the same time, the need for its modernisation is obvious.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-un-as-the-air-of-world-order/

#ModernDiplomacy #UN

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🇷🇸 Serbia — Moscow’s traditional ally in Eastern Europe — has demonstrated its commitment to its Russian “brothers” not only in words, but also in deeds.

If in words President Aleksandar Vučić makes it clear to all partners that the pressure of Western colleagues regarding Serbia’s accession to anti-Russian sanctions is about to achieve its success, then in reality the president of Serbia is very successful in resisting powerful Western pressure. Sometimes it has even done so at the expense of the West, making 500 million euros in spending secret in 2022, after having promised to harmonise processes with the EU, writes Kirill Yakovlev.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/political-dribbling-of-aleksandar-vucic/

#Norms_and_Values #Serbia

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🇦🇫 The rise to power of the Taliban* in Afghanistan marked the end of many years of war.

Today, peace has virtually returned to Afghanistan. The Taliban are consolidating their power and preparing for long-term rule there.

Afghanistan in the future, while strengthening peace, ensuring stability and developing the national economy, will completely change the geopolitical and geo-economic alignment in the region.

Central Asia is in search of an acceptable model of interaction with the new government of Afghanistan. The path of a new confrontation with the Taliban is an extremely ineffective exercise for any foreign policy forces.

Based on the above, today the main global and regional players in the geopolitical space of our region have opted for a bad peace with the Taliban rather than a good war with them, Rustam Khaydarov writes.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-afghan-challenge-is-the-problem-decreasing/

*banned in Russia by court order

#Asia_and_Eurasia #Taliban #Afghanistan

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🪖 Most Effective Armies of the World

The effectiveness of the armed forces of different countries was assessed using 73 attributes and characteristics. 87 countries took part in the rating.

See our infographic on most effective armies of the world.

#valdai_infogaphics #army

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📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On November 27 at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis.

The sharp escalation of the Arab-Israeli conflict has become the main event of late 2023, pushing the conflicts in the South Caucasus and Europe into the background. Its political significance extends far beyond the Middle East region. International relations, including in Asia, will now depend on how the Middle East crisis develops further.

More than half of the total Muslim population lives in the Asia-Pacific region. How will the Arab-Israeli conflict affect the politics of the Asia-Pacific countries?

❓How does the prospect of an aggravation of the Arab-Israeli conflict threaten international security?
❓How do states in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region perceive the Middle East crisis?
❓Which Asian countries could be involved in the conflict?
❓What might be their role in the settlement?

Participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.

🎙️ Speakers:

🇮🇳 Rakesh Bhadauria, Major General (ret.), Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies and Modelling, Joint Institute for Defence Studies of India (New Delhi)

🇮🇩 Rahakundini Bakrie Connie, Lecturer at Jenderal Achmad Yani University, Indonesia

🇨🇳 John Gong, Professor, Vice President of Research and Strategy at the University of International Business and Economics – Israel (UIBE – Israel)

🇵🇰 Raza Muhammad, President, Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad, Pakistan

Moderator:

🚩 Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai  Discussion Club

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-the-asian-vision-of-the-middle-east-crisis/

Working languages: Russian, English.

ℹ️ Information for the media: Dear journalists, in order to be accredited for the event, In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our web site. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763.

A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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⏰ TODAY at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis.

❓How does the prospect of an aggravation of the Arab-Israeli conflict threaten international security?
❓How do states in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region perceive the Middle East crisis?
❓Which Asian countries could be involved in the conflict?
❓What might be their role in the settlement?

Participants in 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, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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🎥 LIVE: at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), we are starting an expert discussion dedicated to the Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239148

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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🗣 On November 27, 2023, the Valdai Discussion Club held an expert discussion dedicated to the Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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🛢️ The current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has renewed a talk of the possibility of a new energy crisis.

After a rocket attack on the Al-Ahli Al-Maadani hospital, located in the Gaza Strip, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on the authorities of Islamic countries to introduce an oil embargo against Israel. Turkey also stated that all energy projects with Israel must be suspended, but the main oil supplies to Israel from Azerbaijan via a pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan still continue. Later, a similar statement was made  by Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement Hassan Nasrallah.

On November 11 and 12, at the extraordinary summit of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, held by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune urged the use oil of and the economic opportunities provided by Arab countries to exert pressure to stop the conflict, as part of a plan to counter Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.

All these proposals were rejected, since they would not have led to tangible results. Even if the OIC countries imposed an embargo, oil supplies to Israel would be compensated by the United States. 

The current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict demonstrates the lack of unity among Arab and Islamic countries on the issue of pressure on Israel and its Western allies.

Although the conflict is still escalating in intensity, primary analysis shows the reluctance of the countries in the region to use “oil weapons” due to their ineffectiveness and high risks for the economy and political stability of the initiators themselves, write Igbal Adil Oglu Guliyev and Murad Saleh oglu Sadygzade.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/oil-crisis-50-years-on-history-repeats-itself/

#EconomicStatecraft #MiddleEast #oil

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🌏🌍 The Middle East Crisis through an Asian Prism

On November 27, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the Asian vision of the Middle East crisis.

💬 Moderator Oleg Barabanov, programme director of the Valdai Club, noted that since the Middle East is part of Asia as a larger region, the political, economic and humanitarian consequences of the Middle East conflict cannot but affect all Asian countries.

💬 Rakesh Bhadauria, Major General (ret.), Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies and Modelling of the Joint Institute of Defence Studies of India (New Delhi), called the crisis in the Middle East a legacy of colonial times. Describing India's position, he noted that it has good relations with both Israel and Palestine, but that India condemns harm to civilians on both sides and attaches importance primarily to human suffering as a result of the conflict. According to him, it is now important to prevent the expansion of the confrontation, because if it grows, then the entire Global South will be involved and, in addition, energy security will be at risk.

💬 Rahakundini Bakrie Connie, Lecturer at Jenderal Achmad Yani University in Indonesia, called for a search for a political solution within the framework of the UN. She emphasized that Indonesia, as both a Muslim country and a trading partner of Israel, favours a peace process with the active participation of Russia. In her opinion, in order to establish peace in the Middle East, it would be useful to return to the idea of a Middle East Quartet consisting of the European Union, the UN, the United States and Russia, in order to provide mediation efforts. However, the confrontation between Russia and the Western countries makes this unlikely.

💬 John Gong, Professor, Vice President of Research and Strategy at the University of International Business and Economics – Israel (UIBE – Israel), briefly outlined the situation around the Gaza Strip and the main trends in Israeli politics at the moment, noting that the consequences of what is happening will have a long-term impact on the world in the future. Speaking about China's position, he pointed out that it is gradually changing and becoming more balanced. At first, Beijing did not directly condemn Hamas, but later it put forward a draft resolution that contained a condemnation. Nevertheless, Israel considers the Chinese position to be rather pro-Palestinian, the analyst admitted, adding that, in his opinion, China seeks to maintain neutrality and achieve a truce between the parties, advocating the two-state principle.

💬 Raza Muhammad, President of the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad, presented the Pakistani perspective on the issue. He said Pakistan has always supported the Palestinian people and called Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip unacceptable, underscoring that what is happening there is a full-blown humanitarian disaster. In his opinion, ultimately everything depends on the position of two countries – the United States and Israel. Until they decide to end this conflict, there is nothing the world can do.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-middle-east-crisis-through-an-asian-prism/

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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📆 #AsianValdai: On December 4-5, 2023, the Valdai Club headquarters in Moscow will host the Club’s 14th Asian Conference.

Experts from India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Mongolia, and Japan will come to Russia to take part. Before the conference, our foreign participants will also meet with Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia. 

The Valdai Club Asian conference will continue the discussion about the future world order that began at the Club’s 20th Annual Meeting. In the new international environment, the role of Asian states is growing and the hegemony of the West is giving way to multipolarity. Today, not only China and India, but also Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are ready to pursue independent policymaking and have sufficient resources and flexibility. 

In the context of Russia’s confrontation with the West, Asia beyond the Middle East remains a zone of peace. There is no religious radicalism, and there are no military alliances that would initiate dividing barriers and steer foreign policy in an anti-Russia direction. Even the emergence of AUKUS hasn’t changed the situation in the region. 

Structurally, the programme of the 14th Asian Valdai is designed to last two days and will include an opening and four thematic sessions, at which experts will discuss the following issues: 

🔹 The most important regional development processes in Asia;
🔹 Potential for defusing international tensions;
🔹 Globalisation and regionalisation: approaches and opportunities for interaction;
🔹 Achievements and potential of relations between Russia and Asian countries in modern conditions. 

In recent years, Asia has become a priority of Russia’s foreign economic activity. Reorientation to Asian markets, the formation of new production and logistics chains, de-globalisation, regionalisation, as well as related de-dollarization and the transition to payments using national currencies have continued to shift the centre of activity and influence from the Euro-Atlantic to Asia.

Thirty experts from eight countries will take part in the Asian Conference of the Valdai Club.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/the-14th-asian-conference-of-the-valdai-discussion-club/

Working languages: Russian, English.

ℹ️ Information for the media: Dear journalists, in order to be accredited for the event, In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our web site. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763.

A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.

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🛤️ Among the six main land routes, three pass through different regions of Eurasia, clearly indicating the role and place of Eurasia in this transit and transportation megaproject. 

The 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held between October 17 and 18 in Beijing, China. It marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

What were the results of the Belt and Road Initiative Summit for transport connectivity in Eurasia? In answering this question, the following key points are important.

1️⃣ First, the conflict in Ukraine, extensive Western sanctions against Russia and transit restrictions splitting Russia from the eastern European Union have had a direct and negative impact on the Northern Corridor of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

2️⃣ The second result of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum will be the strengthening of land and rail routes between China and Russia. Although China's transit and trade route to Europe is blocked from Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine, the volume of bilateral trade and transit between Russia and China has increased significantly.

3️⃣ The third result of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be China's investment in infrastructure and new transport and transit technology in Eurasia.

4️⃣ Finally, China's major challenge in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative in Eurasia will be coordinating and combining the goals and interests of this initiative with The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and also the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS.

China should be expected to be much more conservative and cautious in lending and investing during the second decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, writes Vali Kaleji.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/results-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-summit-for/

#ModernDiplomacy #China #Eurasia #BeltAndRoad

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🗣 Programme of the 14th Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club

📍 Moscow, December 4-5, 2023
 
📆 December 4, Monday
 
15:00 – 15:05 — Opening of the conference (LIVE)

15:05 – 16:30 — Session 1. The Most Important Regional Development Processes in Asia (LIVE)

For decades, the Asian region has been an ideal example of low international tensions, the preparedness of states to cooperate and their orientation towards economic development. The session objective is to identify the most urgent trends in the development of modern Asia, indicate the main problems, factors mitigating the negative impact of global and interstate contradictions, and potential ways of the region's development in the future.

17:00 – 18:30 — Session 2. Potential for Defusing International Tensions

The increase in international tensions along the Russia-West and China-US lines is the factor that most threatens the stability and development of the Asia-Pacific region. Russia, as well as Asian countries, is interested in ensuring that the existing conflicts do not have a decisive impact on the international environment and do not lead to the collapse of existing economic and political ties.
 

📆 December 5, Tuesday
 
10:00 – 11:30 — Session 3. Globalisation and Regionalisation: Approaches and Possibilities of Interaction (LIVE)

The combination of globalisation and regionalisation is one of the main features of the world economy development and institutional cooperation in the modern period. There is a growing need to better understand how the processes of globalization and regionalization interact, and how cooperation at the regional level can contribute to the preservation of a global open economy.

12:00 – 13:30 — Session 4. Accomplishments and Potential of Relations Between Russia and Asian Countries in Modern Conditions (LIVE)

The pivot to the East has been a priority direction of Russian foreign and economic policy for a decade now. It is focused on the objective growth of importance of Asian countries and regional markets in the world economy, the emergence of new technologies and demand for Russian products. Over the past eighteen months, the development of relations with Asian countries has received an additional incentive due to the crisis in Europe as well as the interest of almost all Asian states in maintaining and strengthening trade and economic relations with Russia.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/programme-of-the-14th-asian-conference-of-the-valdai-club-2023/

#AsianValdai #valdai_programme

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📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On November 30 at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion, titled “Technological war between the USA and China: implications for the world and Russia”. It is timed to coincide with the release of the new Valdai Club report “US Technology Policy Amid Rivalry With China”.

Today the world is experiencing another round of the fourth industrial revolution and the emergence of a new technological structure. Progress in the field of high technology is obvious. Supercomputers have surpassed the historic milestone of 1 exaflop (1 quintillion operations per second). Modern microelectronics consist of chips with 3-nm (nanometre) processing technology. Excitement about the capabilities of artificial intelligence is giving way to fears for the future of humanity.

The world has reached a new milestone thanks to the global division of labour. Relations between China and the United States have played a significant role in technological development. However, today cooperation between the two powers is curtailed. Technonationalism is returning to the forefront. Although the American and Chinese positions are almost equal in the race for technological leadership, the United States is doing everything to remain at the top of the hi-tech industry.

❓What is the optimal strategy for Russia in a technology race?
❓What are the features of the United States’ modern technology policy? How vulnerable is it?
❓What methods does the American leadership use in its technological confrontation with China?
❓Is bipolarity possible in the high technology sector?

Participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.

🎙️ Speakers:

🇷🇺 Anastasia Tolstukhina, Ph.D., programme manager and editor of the RIAC website

🇷🇺 Ruslan Yunusov, co-founder of the Russian Quantum Centre

🇫🇷 Jacques Sapir, professor of economics at the Paris Higher School of Social Sciences (EHESS) and Lomonosov Moscow State University

Moderator:

🗣 Ivan Timofeev, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-the-technological-war-between-the-usa-and-china/

Working languages: Russian and English

ℹ️ Information for the media: Dear journalists, in order to be accredited for the event, In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our web site. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763.

A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.

#EconomicStatecraft #technology #UnitedStates #China

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