🗣 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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🗣 On June 1, the Valdai Club participated in a webinar titled “The Radical Reorientation of Russian Foreign Policy”. It was organized by the International Manifesto Group, which studies the evolution of the world order, and the Valdai Club acted as an information partner for the event.

Russia’s foreign policy is experiencing a historical shift today, comparable to the early 1990s or the end of the 17th century, when Russia under Peter the Great turned to the European experience in pursuing new paths of development.

Sergei Karaganov, one of the leading experts on Russian foreign and defence policy, shared his assessments and forecasts at the webinar. First, in the format of an interview, which was conducted by the Valdai Club experts Richard Sakwa and Radhika Desai, then, answering questions from the audience. Also, at the beginning of the webinar, Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, made an opening speech.

🎥 Watch video

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📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On 3 July at 11:00 Moscow Time, the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the prospects for Russian-Japanese relations.

Preserving the foundations for dialogue and cooperation between states, businesses and societies is one of the most important tasks in this period of heightened international turbulence. Nowadays, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region is largely determined by the growing contradictions between the United States and China, and the echoes of the military and political conflict in Europe.

Against this background, relations between Russia and Japan, like interaction between all Asian countries, are not going through the easiest of times. Ties are developing within a rather complex system of restrictions and the need to defend their interests and realise development goals. At the same time, practice shows that there is still room for co-operation, primarily in the economy, business and culture. There is still potential for joint work here, both between non-governmental research organisations in Russia and Japan and civil societies in general.

❓What are the prospects and challenges facing Russian-Japanese cooperation in the current environment?
❓In what areas is dialogue between the two countries still possible and especially necessary?

The panelists will try to answer these and other questions.

🎙️ Speakers:

🇯🇵 Taisuke Abiru, Senior Research Fellow, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation

🇷🇺 Vasily Kashin, Director at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Moderator:

🗣 Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-prospects-for-russian-japanese-relations/

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 #Japan

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⏰ TODAY at 11:00 Moscow Time, the Valdai Club will host a discussion on the prospects for Russian-Japanese relations.

❓What are the prospects and challenges facing Russian-Japanese cooperation in the current environment?
❓In what areas is dialogue between the two countries still possible and especially necessary?

The panelists 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. 

#WiderEurasia #Japan

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🎥 LIVE: at 11:00 Moscow Time, we are starting a discussion on the prospects for Russian-Japanese relations.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239199

#WiderEurasia #Japan

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🗣 On July 3, 2024, the Valdai Discussion Club held a discussion on the prospects for Russian-Japanese relations.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#WiderEurasia #Japan

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🌐 In contemporary international relations, the balance between conflict and harmony is continually negotiated.

The rise of global challenges traditional notions of warfare and necessitates cooperative, multilateral approaches. By integrating insights from neuroscience, world leadership capabilities, and international relations theory, it is possible to create a global community of shared values and attitudes among nation leaders.

Through these efforts, leaders can work together more effectively to address trade, economic and technology challenges, promote peace, and create a more just and harmonious international community, in pursuit of a more just and peaceful world, writes Rahakundini Bakrie Connie.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/conflict-or-harmony-russia-s-global-leadership/

#valdaiclub #Russia #West #WorldOrder

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🇷🇺🇯🇵 Can Russia and Japan restore previous dialogue?

On July 3, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion dedicated to the prospects for Russian-Japanese relations.

💬 Moderator Timofei Bordachev noted that against the background of the military-political crisis between Russia and the West, relations between Russia and Japan are going through an interesting period when both sides are looking for opportunities to maintain cooperation and dialogue in unfavorable conditions.

💬 Taisuke Abiru, Senior Research Fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pursued a very active foreign policy towards Russia. This was partly due to the desire to sign a peace treaty with Russia, and partly due to the rise of China and the desire against the background of this to create a more favourable balance of power for Japan in Asia. Japan changed its policy towards Russia after the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, joining the bloc of Western countries out of fear that East Asia could also become a battlefield in the future. Now the country has rolled out Western sanctions, is increasing defence spending, and is strengthening relations with South Korea, the United States and the European countries. At the same time, it seeks to normalise relations with China. However, according to Abiru, this policy aimed at strengthening security is missing an important piece related to Russia. Japan-Russia relations continue to deteriorate, but if Japan wants to stabilise the security situation in the region, strategic dialogue with Russia is mandatory.

💬 Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics pointed out that the attempt to bring Russia and Japan closer under Shinzo Abe failed due to external factors, as happened in the past. This time, such a factor is US-Japanese relations. Japan tried to respond to China's growing influence by strengthening ties with Russia and India and its alliance with the United States. However, at some point it turned out that it was impossible to simultaneously develop cooperation with Russia and strengthen the alliance with the United States. The influence of the American side was aimed at undermining any signs of establishing Russian-Japanese cooperation, and Japan has always opted for an alliance with the United States.

In 2022, Tokyo actually sacrificed relations with Russia in order to strengthen the alliance with the United States, justify increasing military spending and carry out reforms in the military sphere, as well as strengthen the authority of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Kashin believes. However, the factors that underlay previous attempts at dialogue have not gone away, and in the future we will still see attempts to restore Russian-Japanese relations and agree on certain principles for them, he is convinced.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/can-russia-and-japan-restore-previous-dialogue/

#WiderEurasia #Japan

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🗣 #AfricanValdai: On July 24, 2024, the Valdai Discussion Club will hold its second Russian-African conference, titled “Russia – Africa: A strategy for cooperation in a multipolar world.”

📍 It will be held in Africa for the first time - in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Valdai Club's partners in organising the conference are the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tanzania and the Russian House in Dar es Salaam.

🌍 Up to 40 experts from Russia and East African countries who are involved in the expert activities of the Valdai Club and, more broadly, in Russian-African cooperation will take part in the conference.

Building a fair, equal, multipolar world and unobstructed, unrestricted trade relations is equally important for both Russia and its African partners, as is taking into account the values of developing countries and their interests. The purpose of the conference is to compare positions on the entire cycle of these problems, and bring them to a point where Russia and African countries can apply similar approaches and implement similar paths of development in real politics.

The Russia-Africa conference will be completely open to the media. The programme lasts one day and includes an opening and four thematic sessions. The conference will be opened on July 24 at 9:30am Moscow Time by Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, Andrei Avetisyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United Republic of Tanzania.

During the sessions, experts will discuss the following topics:

• A year after the Russia-Africa summit: political dialogue between Russia and African countries at the present stage;
• Cooperation for development: economics and technology;
• Russian and African approaches to climate change;
• Shared values and cultural cooperation.

📑 An international team of authors has prepared a new Valdai Club report especially for the conference, titled “Prospects and tasks of Russian-African cooperation”, which summarizes the first results of decisions made and agreements signed a year after the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, as well as a Valdai Paper: “Tanzanian virgin soil for Russian business. Prospects for cooperation in the agricultural sector.” Their presentation will take place on July 18 at the Moscow site of the Valdai Club.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/russia-africa-strategy-for-cooperation-in-a-multipolar-world-the-2nd-african-conference-of-the-valda/

Working language: English.

ℹ️ Attention! Representatives of the Media are allowed to the Conference strictly with a prior registration and confirmation from the organizers.

In order to be accredited for the event, please  fill out the form on our website. Accreditation is open until 12:00 noon Moscow time on July 19. If you have any questions, please write to [email protected].

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🌍 EU foreign minister Josep Borrell once defined Europe as a garden of prosperity surrounded mainly by jungle. But what are the roots of this garden?

The pain, blood, violence, murder and absolute exploitation of the peoples of the world, including Europeans; the extermination of populations, cultures and identities across continents for 500 years.

We are living at a pivotal moment in history. For the first time in almost 500 years, the Western hegemony is being challenged militarily, economically, technologically and philosophically to a degree where the West could lose its dominance with the emergence of a truly multipolar world.

This is the moment to reassess our beliefs. The objective of such reassessment is not to negate the Western contribution to the human civilisation, but to uncover the limitation of that model; to take advantage of the factual achievements together with inputs and knowledge all around the word to create a wiser system that is more inclusive for the vast majority of humanity, writes Ibrahima Diagne.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/thinking-laterally-how-to-create-a-more-inclusive/

#GlobalAlternatives #WorldOrder #Africa

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