📌 Good morning! Today, the Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club continues.

📆 Programme for February 14, Wednesday

10:30 – 12:00 — Session 4. Diversity of Actors in the Middle East: Is Balance Achievable?

The emergence of influential and proactive actors aspiring to become autonomous centres of power in the Middle East suggests the formation of multipolarity in the region. Will the new system help contain conflicts, establish and strengthen new formats of interaction between regional powers without the involvement of external forces, and exercise a more tangible national sovereignty?

12:30 – 14:00 — Session 5. Is a Nuclear-free Middle East Possible?

The issue of nuclear weapons has returned to the agenda due to the general escalation of international tensions. It is highly relevant in West Asia, which is believed to have de facto nuclear and threshold powers. Under certain circumstances, a number of states may pursue nuclear weapons programmes. How does this factor affect the regional atmosphere and what should be the international strategy in light of this?

15:00 – 16:30 — Session 6. Economic Cooperation in the Region: Opportunities and Challenges

Trade and economic cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Middle East and North Africa is one of the pillars of Moscow's regional strategy. The session will address the potential for the implementation of joint energy and logistics projects, the opportunities offered by cooperation in finance, technology and investment, as well as possible solutions to food security challenges.

Programme of the 13th Middle East Conference

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🗣 The second day of the 13th Middle East Conference started with Session 4, titled “Diversity of Actors in the Middle East: Is Balance Achievable?”

📷 Photo gallery

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🗣 The Palestinian Issue in the Spotlight: Day 1 of the Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club

On Tuesday, February 13, the 13th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Club and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences began in Moscow. This year, about 50 foreign and Russian experts and active political figures from 16 countries are taking part.

Opening the conference, Vitaly Naumkin, Academic Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, noted that today the thesis about the centrality of the Palestinian problem in establishing peace in the Middle East, which Russia has been promoting for years, is not in doubt by anyone. In turn, Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, emphasised that the problems of the region are so multidimensional and diverse that it provides the best testing ground for working out settlement mechanisms, which will allow analysts to develop a theory of how relations between countries must be built in the future.

Read an article about the first day of the Middle East Valdai


1️⃣ Session 1 “Towards a Comprehensive Settlement in the Middle East”

🗣 The meeting with Sergey Lavrov

2️⃣ Session 2 “Heritage of Colonial Policy and Its Echoes in the Middle East”

3️⃣ Session 3 “Question of Palestine – What Is Next?”

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🌍 Military Threats and Economic Opportunities: The Final Day of the Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club

On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, the 13th Middle East conference of the Valdai Discussion Club ended. Three sessions that day were held in a closed-door format.

4️⃣ During the fourth session of the conference, the experts discussed how state and non-state actors are changing the balance of power in the region. In recent years, more and more states in the Middle East have sought to gain strategic autonomy. Of course, Iran has been the most successful, having embraced an independent foreign policy more than four decades ago. A distinctive feature of the present time is the growing independence of countries that traditionally maintain close relations with the West.

5️⃣ During the fifth session, the participants tried to answer the question “is it possible for the Middle East to forsake nuclear weapons?” All discussions on this topic were based on the fact that there are nuclear weapons in the Middle East - and are at the disposal of Israel. According to most experts, the presence of a state with absolute military superiority is unacceptable and presents a key threat to the entire region.

6️⃣ The final session of the conference was devoted to the opportunities and obstacles which influence economic cooperation in the region. New opportunities for the development of trade and economic ties arose as a result of Russia’s “disconnection” from Western markets. Despite the difficulties created by the unilateral restrictive measures of Western countries, the states of the region remain Russia's key partners. A special role here is played by the United Arab Emirates, which is actively taking advantage of the opportunities that have opened up.

Read a summery of the second day of the Middle East Valdai

Read an article about the first day of the Middle East Valdai

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⚔️ This infographic demonstrates the number of military personnel, military budgets and the number of units of various types of military equipment in 2023. The infographic on military capabilities of the Middle East countries was prepared especially for the 13th Middle East conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.

The high-res infographic is available on the website.

#MiddleEastValdai #valdai_infogaphics #MiddleEast #military

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🇮🇷 On July 5, 2024, Masoud Pezeshkian was elected as the 14th President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

During the presidential champions, he emphasized that he would try to remove the economic sanctions through interaction with the West, recovering Iranians economic livelihood and welfare.

He also published an article in Tehran Times daily on July 13 entitled, “My Message to the New World” defining his core foreign policy objective as to create “balance” in relations with all countries. In the same article, he emphasized that his administration will prioritize strengthening relations with Iran’s neighbors, increased relations with Russia and China, and interacting with the West from an equal political angle. 

A careful reading of the Iranian new president’s political positions demonstrates that he is seeking for an “accommodation” in foreign policy through constructing a political consensus in the domestic politics, bridging the reformist and conservative forces, Kayhan Barzegar writes.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/in-search-for-an-accommodation-iran-s-foreign/

#WiderEurasia #Iran #MasoudPezeshkian #MiddleEast

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📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On October 2 at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

For decades, the Middle East has remained a region with numerous hotbeds of tension. Over the past several years, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has entered another active phase, and Israel's relations with its Arab neighbours are in crisis, despite attempts to normalise them in 2020. The Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli strikes on the Iranian consulate in Syria led to a new round of escalation.

On September 17 and 18, 2024, thousands of pagers and radios belonging to Hezbollah members exploded in Lebanon, after allegedly being boobytrapped with explosives and equipped with remote-controlled detonators. The explosions were followed by Israeli strikes on targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on the border with Syria.

❓How far will Israel go in the fight against Hamas and Hezbollah?
❓Will Arab states unite to counter the threat?
❓Will Iran continue to follow the policy of “strategic patience”?

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

🎙️ Speakers:

🇱🇧 Amal Abou Zeid, Advisor to the President of Lebanon; Member of the Lebanese Parliament from the Free Patriotic Movement (2016–2018) (Lebanon)

🇷🇺 Ruslan Mamedov, Research Director of The Evgeny Primakov Center for International Cooperation; Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS

🇷🇺 Adlan Margoev, Research Fellow, Institute of International Studies, MGIMO

🇷🇺🇱🇧 Alexander Rudakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Lebanon

Moderator:

🗣 Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-the-situation-in-the-middle-east/

Working languages: Russian, English.

ℹ️ Information for the media: 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

Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen. 

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast

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🌍 The latest developments in Gaza and Lebanon have underlined the strong link between Gulf security and overall Middle East security.

It is time to for Moscow to consider reviving its initiative. But this time around, some changes may be necessary to reflect the changed regional security environment resulting from the war on Gaza and its regional ramifications.

While no imminent breakthrough can be envisaged in the Palestine - Israel conflict, Syria, the Iran nuclear issue or the establishment of a regional security system, there is room for a Russian contribution to improving the security environment in the Middle East in a way that paves the way to peace, writes Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, Deputy Special Envoy for Syria of the United Nations (2014-2019).

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-s-contribution-to-improving-the-security/

#Return_of_Diplomacy #MiddleEast

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⏰ TODAY at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

❓How far will Israel go in the fight against Hamas and Hezbollah?
❓Will Arab states unite to counter the threat?
❓Will Iran continue to follow the policy of “strategic patience”?

The 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 website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen. 

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Iran #Israel #Hamas #Hezbollah

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🎥 LIVE: at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239207

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Iran #Israel #Hamas #Hezbollah

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🗣 On October, 2, 2024, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Iran #Israel #Hamas #Hezbollah

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🌍 Middle East Crisis: Can a New Round of Escalation Be Avoided?

On October 2, a discussion dedicated to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East was held at the Valdai Discussion Club. The event was moderated by Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov.

💬 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov noted that the country is at the intersection of almost the entire spectrum of Middle Eastern problems, suffering from ethno-confessional tensions, a profound economic and political crisis, an influx of refugees, and in the last year – from an armed confrontation with Israel, which has escalated into a local hybrid war since September. According to the diplomat, this conflict is more deadly and severe than the previous Lebanese-Israeli war, and apparently, this is not the end yet. “Lebanon is literally boiling,” he emphasised, adding that the only alternative to negative scenarios is an immediate ceasefire and negotiations with a diplomatic outcome, “whatever it may be.”

💬 Adviser to the President of Lebanon Amal Abou Zeid called Israel's actions a disregard for international law and an attack on all Lebanese. He pointed out the connection between the Middle East crisis and the Ukrainian one. In his opinion, both were the result of America’s desire to rule the world alone and dictate its rules to everyone else. “Lebanon is currently under attack. The Western community has remained completely deaf to its problems,” Abu Zeid said, adding that the country is currently in the same situation as the Gaza Strip. He also emphasised that further escalation of the conflict could, if it engulfs other countries, lead to World War III. 

💬 According to Ruslan Mamedov, Research Director of the Evgeny Primakov Centre for International Cooperation and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Middle East is currently undergoing a transformation of its security architecture, and its countries are seeking to secure their position in the future regional order. He noted that attempts to achieve a win-win situation associated with the signing of the Abraham Accords have failed. “Today, in 2024, we find ourselves in a situation between a zero-sum game and a lose-lose situation,” said Mamedov. The region is caught between Iran, which is trying to maintain the status quo, and Israel, which is seeking to expand its space. 

💬 Adlan Margoev, Research Fellow at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University, spoke about Iran’s role in what is happening. He noted that Iran’s behaviour as a whole appears predictable and that the Iranian leadership, whether “reformers” or “conservatives,” demonstrates a clear lack of interest in the conflict, reacting to any incidents with the utmost restraint. It can be said that the new Iranian administration is waiting for the American elections to resume dialogue on the Iranian nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions, but, apparently, the main factor for Tehran is the desire to avoid a major new war similar to the Iran-Iraq war.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/middle-east-crisis-can-a-new-round-of-escalation-be-avoided/

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast

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