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🌏 The fundamental basis of the Russian approach to the training of future analysts and diplomats is to instil in students a knowledge of the history, language and culture of the country of specialisation. 

As the international developments of the past year show, there are at least two reasons why high-quality training of diplomatic personnel in Russia has not lost its relevance.

1️⃣ First, our interlocutors in the West are becoming skilled in toying with human emotions.

The era of globalisation has given mankind such an open information society that all people perceive themselves as participants in the international process: foreign policy developments affect people’s thoughts and feelings, turning them into the protagonists of international events. European politicians successfully press the “sympathy” and “solidarity” buttons on the dashboard in connection with various international events. The United States, Britain and some other Western countries, skilled in the information war, are now very good at directing the flows of emotional reactions of English-speaking citizens in the West, and in other regions of the world, to shape the way they perceive what is happening, for example, in Ukraine.

2️⃣ Second, the countries where the centre of gravity of world resources is gradually shifting, namely China and India, do not perceive the confrontation between Russia and the West as a redistribution of the world order, but only as the latest struggle within the West. That is, what is happening is perceived as a conflict within “white civilization”, as a dispute between economic entities.

It is necessary to strengthen the ability of young professionals to interact in a new information environment, where you need to take the initiative, to defend convincingly and firmly your own position; to conduct a discussion in such a way that your point of view looks like the closest approximation to the median of common sense: to be able to press the buttons of the interlocutor’s emotions, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/is-strategic-empathy-necessary/

#ModernDiplomacy #diplomacy

@valdai_club
⚔️ 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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🎓🌐 Many discrepancies between the leading countries offering their solutions to world problems are rooted in this difference in worldviews. 

By studying the teaching of international relations in different countries, we can note differences in the national epistemology of knowledge about the world. Many states rely on their own foreign policy experience, while others “import” this experience, borrowing foreign policy assessments from the countries which lead their coalitions.

The Russian approach to training diplomatic personnel and international relations students in general is based on the experience of Soviet diplomacy during and after the Second World War. In the mid-1940s, the leadership of the USSR realised the need to design the architecture of the post-war world order and, accordingly, prepare a new generation of diplomats to work in a changed international environment. Their tasks were to include laying the foundation of a new political order for the world, creating its institutional framework in the form of the UN, as well as establishing the format of interaction between the victorious states. At that moment, it was obvious that with the impending emancipation of new states in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, a large-scale expansion of the USSR's diplomatic corps was necessary, as well as the opening of new embassies. 

Today we are seeing similar processes. Just 10 years ago, international relations graduates believed that they were graduating into an established, predictable world - in which all bilateral relations were fully established and all multilateral organisations were functioning. Students believed that they would find themselves in a routine foreign policy process, where there were no opportunities to express themselves.

Today, however, students, as in the 1940s, are again faced with the task of shaping a new world where the future of the world order will be determined, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/differences-in-the-training-of-international/

#ModernDiplomacy #diplomacy

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🇫🇷 Reform of the French Diplomatic Service: Will It Help?

On April 16, 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron signed a decree according to which, from January 1, 2023, two categories of senior ranks of the French diplomatic service, the so-called corps of plenipotentiary envoys and advisers on foreign affairs, were abolished. 

At the same time, other specialized categories of civil servants, for example, the corps of prefects, are also being eliminated. All of them will now be lumped into a single “corps of state administrators,” which will number about 6,000 people. In practice, this means that now a diplomat with the rank of minister-counsellor can become a prefect of a department, and the prefect can apply for the post of ambassador in some country.

The authorities justify the expediency of such innovations by citing the need to give the state apparatus a more flexible, open, manageable and less caste-based character. In relation to the diplomatic service, the task is to facilitate access to it for a “wider profile” of civil servants.

The gradual loss of traditions is fraught with the decline of French diplomacy. It is no coincidence that the reform initiated by Macron has coincided with a series of serious failures in his foreign policy, in particular in relations with African countries, former colonies of France, which is especially painful for Paris, Ambassador Alexander Kuznetsov writes.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/reform-of-the-french-diplomatic-service/

#ModernDiplomacy #France #diplomacy

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🇦🇫 February 15, 2024 marked the 35th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

This conflict had a serious impact on international relations, both in the surrounding region and throughout the world. It became a significant element in the escalation of the Cold War in the first half of the 1980s.

The diplomatic alignment of forces during the Afghan conflict of the 1980s is very indicative. Not all countries friendly to the Soviet Union (Romania, India, Nicaragua, etc.) agreed with its position. The opponents of the USSR were able to create a fairly strong coalition in the UN.

Incidentally, a somewhat similar situation has developed now, during the voting on Russia in the General Assembly in recent years, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-withdrawal-of-soviet-troops-from-afghanistan/

#GlobalAlternatives #Afghanistan #diplomacy

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🌐 Despite the ongoing discussion about the declining role of the state in international relations, the importance of diplomacy has never been questioned in research papers.

▪️ The founder of classical realism, Hans Morgenthau, described diplomacy as the core element of power and a way of converting all types of public resources into influence.

▪️ A well-known theorist of international relations, Adam Watson, saw diplomacy as a tool of interaction between independent states that exist in a common international environment and as a means of protecting the internal environment of states from external impulses.

▪️ Norwegian researcher Iver Neumann identified three main profiles in forming the diplomat’s professional qualities: “a bureaucrat,” “a hero,” and “a mediator.”

The study of diplomatic practices is crucial as the international order transitions from hegemony to polycentricity, intensifying rivalry between states.

A new Valdai Club report “Crafting National Interests: How Diplomatic Training Impacts Sovereignty” represents a preliminary exploration of the training of international analysts and diplomatic personnel worldwide, conducted by MGIMO University.

The contributors assert that the quality of diplomatic training holds significant importance in enabling nation-states to attain autonomy and agency in the evolving polycentric world order.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/reports/crafting-national-interests-diplomatic-training/

The presentation of the report will take place today, at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3). Watch the live broadcast on our website.

#Return_of_Diplomacy #valdai_report #diplomacy

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TODAY at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will present a new report titled “Crafting National Interests: How Diplomatic Training Impacts Sovereignty”

To what extent are Western countries prepared to end the “strategic vacation” and return to competition?
What traditions of training diplomats have the World Majority states acquired during the post-colonial period?

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

Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the websiteX (formerly Twitter)VKontakteTelegram and Dzen.

#Return_of_Diplomacy #diplomacy #valdai_report

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📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On July 10, at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion, titled “Russia in the World: Results of the Foreign Policy Season 2023-2024.”

The recent period has been a particularly successful one for Russia’s foreign policy. This can be seen in the expansion of the BRICS, the addition of new members to the SCO, and the increasing reach of Russia’s global presence. President Putin’s visit to China following his re-election, his recent visits to North Korea and Vietnam, the deepening cooperation between Russia and Iran, joint military exercises with China, and naval exercises held by Russia in the Atlantic demonstrate new priorities in Russia’s foreign policy strategy.

Vladimir Putin’s statement regarding Russia’s potential supply of weapons to adversaries of several NATO countries demonstrates Moscow’s preparedness to take retaliatory actions in the event of increased military support for Ukraine. The 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, which seemed promising to Russia’s opponents, was intended to culminate in a “peace summit” in Switzerland, where an ultimatum was to be presented to Russia. However, Russian military operations and diplomatic efforts thwarted these plans.

Thus, both the Ukrainian offensive and the planned conference in Switzerland ended in a failure. Russia’s proposals for conflict resolution outlined during the Istanbul negotiations in April 2022 had been rejected.

Given these developments, what can be expected from the upcoming foreign policy period?
How will the crisis in Ukraine evolve, and what are the prospects for a resolution?

Participants in this discussion will address these and other questions.

🎙️ Speakers:

🇷🇺 Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia @MFARussia

🇷🇺 Vladimir Chizhov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defence and Security

🇷🇺 Alexey Krivopalov, Senior Research Fellow of the Central Asia Sector, Fellow of the Post-Soviet Studies Centre, IMEMO

🇿🇦 David Monyae, Director, Centre for China-Africa Studies, University of Johannesburg

Moderator:

🗣 Ivan Timofeev @sanctionsrisk, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-results-of-the-foreign-policy-season-2023-2024/

Working languages: Russian, English.

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

Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the 
websiteX (formerly Twitter)VKontakteTelegram and Dzen.

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #diplomacy #Russia

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TODAY at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion, titled “Russia in the World: Results of the Foreign Policy Season 2023-2024.”

Given these developments, what can be expected from the upcoming foreign policy period?
How will the crisis in Ukraine evolve, and what are the prospects for a resolution?

Participants in this discussion will address these and other questions.

Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the websiteX (formerly Twitter)VKontakteTelegram and Dzen.

#Return_of_Diplomacy #diplomacy #Russia

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🗣 On July 10, 2024, the Valdai Discussion Club held a discussion, titled “Russia in the World: Results of the Foreign Policy Season 2023-2024.”

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #diplomacy #Russia

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🌏 The Results of Foreign Policy Season: A Multipolar Whirlpool

On July 10, 2024, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “Russia in the World: Results of the Foreign Policy Season 2023-2024”.

💬 Moderator Ivan Timofeev called this season quite eventful. He highlighted the emergence of the concept of a Eurasian security structure in Russian foreign policy philosophy, the expansion of BRICS, Vladimir Putin’s visits to the DPRK and Vietnam, deepening interaction with Iran, joint exercises with China, Russia's presence in the Atlantic Ocean, the development of the Ukrainian conflict, and the failure of the Swiss summit. “We are in the centre, in a whirlpool of events, however, it is under control,” Timofeev concluded.

💬 “The world has changed dramatically since February 2022 and continues to change. What happened in February 2022 was the culmination of trends that have developed over the past decades, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko. “We were waiting for this, preparing for it, but it was difficult to be fully ready for such dramatic and tectonic shifts.” Now the world is completely different - the era of Western dominance is ending, new centres of power are emerging among the countries of the Global South, and Russia occupies a special place as a Eurasian power with its own geopolitical priorities, he stressed.

💬 Vladimir Chizhov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defence and Security, presented a brief outline of the situation in Europe. He noted that Europe today prefers to associate itself more with the Euro-Atlantic than with Eurasia, and called this a conceptual mistake. According to him, Russia has always advocated for the European Union to be an independent centre in a multipolar world, but the Europeans have chosen the opposite path, turning Europe into an appendage of the United States, and the EU into an appendage of NATO. As for relations with Russia, in the eyes of the European Union it gradually turned from a strategic partner first into a strategic opponent, and later into the main enemy. NATO, which had lost its reason for existence, also regained it in the confrontation with Russia.

💬 David Monyae, Director of the Centre for China-Africa Studies at the University of Johannesburg, spoke about Russian-African relations. He recalled that the Soviet Union had played an important role in the liberation of the African continent. In the transition from a US-dominated world order to a multipolar world, the African countries prefer to stay away from the struggle between the superpowers; they reject the idea of a zero-sum game, strive for non-alignment and choose neutrality. Africa and Russia are united by the fact that they advocate respect for strategic interests and global reforms of international organisations. Russia supports Africa's desire to take a more worthy place in the international system.

💬 Alexey Krivopalov, Senior Research Fellow of the Central Asia Sector, Fellow of the Post-Soviet Studies Centre, IMEMO, raised the issue of military operations in Ukraine and the connection between foreign policy, military-strategic and operational-tactical horizons in this context. According to Krivopalov, while Russia’s foreign policy position looks exceptionally strong, and at the military-strategic level the picture as a whole does not cause concern, then at the operational-tactical level, from the very beginning of the political season under discussion, the unresolved problem of positional balance still remains, and tactics do not have simple recipes for overcoming. He called this a reason to look into the future with cautious optimism.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-results-of-foreign-policy-season-a-multipolar-whirlpool/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #diplomacy #Russia

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