📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On June 27, at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the confiscation of Russian assets abroad.

In April 2024, both houses of the US Congress passed The 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act, which allows the executive branch to seize Russian assets worth $4-5 billion. The total amount of frozen Russian sovereign assets across jurisdictions that have imposed sanctions is estimated to be $300 billion. Under the new law, Russian assets can only be unfrozen if the conflict in Ukraine ends and full compensation is made for Ukrainian material losses.

Russia did not hesitate to respond to the US bill. On 23 May 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree “On a special procedure for compensating for damage caused to the Russian Federation and the Central Bank of Russia in connection with unfriendly actions by the United States.” According to the document, the Russian authorities may use both sovereign funds and funds from individuals to compensate for damages caused by the confiscation of Russian sovereign assets in the US.

❓How will the new powers of authorities in Russia and the United States affect bilateral relations?
❓To what extent are the assets in Russia and the US comparable?
❓What are the prospects for further mutual expansion of confiscation measures?
❓Which countries that have initiated anti-Russia sanctions can replicate the American experience?
❓And what might the consolidation of these economic barriers in production and trade result in?

Participants in this discussion will address these and other related questions.

Speakers:

🇷🇺 Dmitry Timofeev, Director of the Department for Control of External Restrictions of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation

🇨🇳 John Gong, Professor, Vice-President of Research and Strategy at the University of International Business and Economics – Israel; China Forum Expert

🇷🇺 Ekaterina Arapova, Director of the Center of Sanction Policy Expertise Institute for International Studies, Deputy Dean of the Department of International Relations, MGIMO University, Ph.D. in Economics

Moderator:

🗣 Ivan Timofeev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-confiscation-of-russian-assets-abroad/

Working languages: English, Russian.

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

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #sanctions #RussianAssets

📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On June 28, at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential for the development of Iranian-Russian relations.

The internal political situation in Iran has traditionally aroused considerable interest in Russia, as this country is associated with several international projects that are priorities for Moscow, including the development of the North-South transport and logistics corridors, military-technical cooperation, efforts towards stability in the Middle East, and the peaceful resolution of inter-state conflicts in South Caucasus.

Iran is currently one of the major players in the global stage, consistently pursuing a sovereign foreign policy in the Middle East and maintaining relations with major world powers. Furthermore, in recent years, Iran has actively expanded its participation in new international frameworks, joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2022 and BRICS in January 2024.

❓What are the current political and economic circumstances in Iran, and what could be the outcomes of the upcoming presidential election on June 28?
❓What are some of the key achievements and future prospects for relations between Iran and Russia?
❓How could the election results impact the development of Russia-Iran cooperation?

These and other questions will be discussed by participants.

🎙️ Speakers:

🇷🇺 Vitaly Naumkin, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Doctor of Historical Sciences; Professor; Academic Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences

🇮🇷 Kayhan Barzegar, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Research Unit of the Islamic Azad University (Iran)

🇷🇺 Alexander Maryasov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Thailand and Permanent Representative to ESCAP (2010-2014), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Iran (2001-2005)

Moderator:

🗣 Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-the-presidential-elections-in-iran/

Working languages: English, Russian.

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

#WiderEurasia #Iran

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🗣 Dear friends, this is a reminder that this week, Valdai Discussion Club will hold the following events:

📆 On June 27, at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the confiscation of Russian assets abroad. Watch the live broadcast of the discussion on the website.

📆 On June 28, at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential for the development of Iranian-Russian relations. Watch the live broadcast via this link.

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🎥 LIVE: at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), we are starting a discussion on the confiscation of Russian assets abroad.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239197

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #sanctions #RussianAssets

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🗣 On June 27, 2024, the Valdai Discussion Club held a discussion on the confiscation of Russian assets abroad.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #sanctions #RussianAssets

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📆 TOMORROW, June 28, at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential for the development of Iranian-Russian relations.

❓What are the current political and economic circumstances in Iran, and what could be the outcomes of the upcoming presidential election on June 28?
❓What are some of the key achievements and future prospects for relations between Iran and Russia?
❓How could the election results impact the development of Russia-Iran cooperation?

These and other questions will be discussed by participants.

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. 

#WiderEurasia #Iran

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💰 Confiscation of Russian Assets: Politics vs. Economics

On June 27, the Valdai Club hosted a discussion on the confiscation of Russian assets abroad.

💬 The moderator, Ivan Timofeev, highlighted that a new development has emerged in this regard. While previously, the emphasis was on freezing assets, the current concern involves the dispossession of property rights. He went on to state that these measures are gradually evolving and suggested that this is not the final stage.

💬 Dmitry Timofeev, Director of the Department for Control of External Restrictions of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, believes that it is difficult to determine at this point whether Western countries will choose to seize Russian assets. He emphasized the importance of the institution of private property in the Western world, noting that confiscation measures could undermine this foundation. As a result, Western nations are hesitant to adopt such measures and instead seek more moderate approaches. If Western countries do decide to confiscate Russian assets, Timofeev believes it would constitute a significant strategic mistake.

💬 Ekaterina Arapova, Director of the Center for Expertise on Sanctions Policy at the Institute of International Studies, Deputy Dean of the Department of International Relations at the MGIMO University, emphasized the practice of seizure, legislative registration, and implementation of secondary sanction regimes as sources of global mistrust in various fields — in world reserve currencies, pricing principles in markets, and protection of property rights. Against this backdrop, economic power centres are reconsidering their policies and exploring new instruments to manage potential risks. This has resulted in an increase in transactions in national currencies, the establishment of domestic payment systems, and efforts to integrate these systems.

💬 John Gong, Vice-President of Research and Strategy at the University of International Business and Economics – Israel, understands the rationale behind the move towards confiscatory measures in a military situation. In light of Russia’s success, the Western world is seeking to increase assistance to Ukraine in order to prevent its complete defeat. However, public support for such assistance from state budgets is decreasing. “That is, funds are dwindling, and hence, it is understandable why these measures are being considered,” he concluded.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/confiscation-of-russian-assets-politics-vs-economics/

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🎥 LIVE: at 11:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), we are starting a discussion on the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential for the development of Iranian-Russian relations.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239198

#WiderEurasia #Iran

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🗣 On June 28, 2024, the Valdai Discussion Club held a discussion on the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential for the development of Iranian-Russian relations.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#WiderEurasia #Iran

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🇮🇷 Iranian Democracy and the Global South

On June 28, the Valdai Club held a discussion dedicated to the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential for the development of Iranian-Russian relations. The event was moderated by Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Club.

💬 Vitaly Naumkin, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academic Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that the political system of Iran is democratic in nature. “Iran, unlike many other countries in the region, has all the signs, all the institutions of democracy. Moreover, this democracy is similar to that in the West,” he said. There are political parties, which is unusual for an Islamic government, an opposition press, an active parliament with heated debates and quotas for religious minorities. Although, at first glance, a conservative trend prevails in Iran, in fact the country is moving towards greater openness and inclusion in the world community – but within the framework of the Global South, and not the “collective West”. This entry of Iran into the community of the World Majority states, and the part of it friendly to Russia, will play a role in determining the outcome of the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic, Naumkin believes.

💬 Kayhan Barzegar, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Research Unit of the Islamic Azad University (Iran), pointed out three main directions towards which participants in the presidential race are leaning in foreign policy issues, which are considered an extremely important factor in the elections. Reformers strive for balance, are more oriented towards the West and seek the lifting of sanctions. Moderate conservatives are committed to dialogue with the West from a position of strength and strive for negotiations with leading Western powers on equal terms. Finally, ideologically conservative forces see opportunities in the non-Western world and oppose a focus on the United States and the West. In their opinion, the lifting of sanctions alone will not help achieve much in the economy. Barzegar noted that during the election campaign the topic of BRICS and the SCO was often raised, and whoever becomes president will definitely actively develop relations with the non-Western world, and especially with Russia.

💬 Alexander Maryasov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Thailand and Permanent Representative to ESCAP (2010-2014), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Iran (2001-2005), also noted the democratic component of the Iranian state system. This applies both to parliamentarism and to the competitive nature of presidential elections. However, according to the diplomat, despite pluralism, Iranian politics has principles that cannot be violated – the foundations of the Islamic system. Speaking about Iran’s foreign policy, Maryasov emphasized that not only pragmatists, but also representatives of the ruling circles would like to see the lifting of sanctions and normal relations with the West. But the United States, with its irreconcilable attitude towards the Islamic Republic, is preventing any attempts to improve relations. Therefore, the Iranian leadership is convinced that it is impossible to deal with the current US leadership, and maintains a very tough position regarding negotiations with the US and the EU, which is under American influence.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/iranian-democracy-and-the-global-south/

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