📆 #CentralAsianValdai2022: On May 17-18, Nizhny Novgorod will host the 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.

This year’s theme is “Russia — Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability”.

🌏 The Central Asian Conference will be attended by about 40 experts from 9 countries — Russia, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The event is expected to be opened by Gleb Nikitin, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, and Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The Central Asian Conference will last two days. The programme will include an opening, four thematic sessions and an open discussion. The opening of the conference and the first session (May 17), as well as the final open discussion (May 18) will be available to the media and the general public and will be broadcast on the Club’s website.

The main topics of the conference are the following:

• Development of Russia and Central Asia in the context of new geopolitical turbulence;
• Collective security in Central Asia;
• Cooperation between Russia and the countries of the region in the field of economy and transport;
• Interregional ties between Russia and the five republics of Central Asia.

🌏 The foreign participants of the conference include: Rashid Alimov, SCO Secretary General (2016-2018); Mehdi Sanai, Associate Professor, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Russia (2013 — 2019); Rakhim Oshakbaev, Director of the TALAP Center for Applied Research; Kanatbek Aziz, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic; Kubatbek Rakhimov Executive Director of the Public Foundation “Applicata — Center for Strategic Decisions”, Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic (2019-2020); Bakhtishod Khamidov, Deputy Director of the Institute for Forecasting and Macroeconomic Research under the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Raj Kumar Sharma, Research Fellow, Delhi School of Transnational Relations, University of Delhi; Wang Wen, Executive Dean of the Chongyang Financial Research Institute of the Renmin University of China (RDCY), Vice President of the Silk Road School of the Renmin University of China; Nandan Unnikrishnan, Honorary Fellow, Observer Research Foundation; Muhammad Athar Javed, founder, CEO of Pakistan House, director of the Center for Russian Studies; Feng Shaolei, Director of Centre for Russian Studies, Director of Centre for Co-development with Neighboring Countries, East China Normal University.

🇷🇺 The Russian participants include: Ivan Safranchuk, Director and Leading Research Fellow of the Center for Eurasian Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO); Yana Leksyutina, Professor of the Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University; Marcel Salikhov, Director of the HSE Center for Economic Expertise; Andrey Grozin, Senior Researcher at the Center for the Study of Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Ural-Volga Region of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Central Asia and Kazakhstan of the ANO “Institute of Diaspora and Integration”; Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation of the Valdai Club; Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, and others.

🔗 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club

Working languages: English, Russian.

ℹ️ Information for the media! In order to be accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our website or call +7 926 930 77 63. Accreditation is open until 15:00 Moscow time on May 16.

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📌 Programme of the 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club "Russia – Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability"

📍 Nizhny Novgorod, May 17-18, 2022

📆 May 17, Tuesday

10:00 – 10:15 — Opening of the conference:

Open for live broadcast and media

10:15 – 11:45 — Session I. Geopolitical Challenges and Joint Development

Open for live broadcast and media

The task of the session is to assess the overall impact of new turbulence, the possibility of a joint response to existential challenges and concrete solutions to those problems that already affect negatively the ability of states to achieve their main development goals.

12:00 – 13:30 — Session II. Collective Security: Threats and Opportunities

The task of the session is to discuss the effectiveness of existing collective tools to respond to new threats, determine the likelihood of new challenges and understand how Russia and the countries of Central Asia can jointly respond to them.

14:30 – 16:00 — Session III. International Trade and Transport of Central Eurasia in the New Conditions

The task of the session is to identify ways and opportunities to reduce damage, but also to identify new opportunities for cooperation in trade, transport and logistics at the international and bilateral level.

16:15 – 17:45 — Session IV. Interregional Cooperation in a Turbulent World

Intensified cooperation between individual regions of Russia and the countries of Central Asia can be an answer to many questions and challenges.


📆 May 18, Wednesday

09:30 – 11:30 — Open discussion on topical issues of the region

Open for live broadcast and media

The purpose of this session is to give experts an opportunity to assess the most important new areas of interaction between Russia and the countries of Central Asia within the framework of a free exchange of views and to identify those issues and problems that have not yet fully manifested themselves.

🔗 Programme of the 2nd Central Asian Conference

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🌏 The countries of Central Asia, like many members of the international community, are operating within the “fog of war” and the expected multi-variance of scenarios for the development of the general situation in the large Eurasian space.

Any attempt to completely exclude a country as large as Russia from globalisation, especially given its position in a number of sectors of international trade and the transport and logistics system of Eurasia, can lead to fundamental changes. It cannot be ruled out that the consequences of these changes will be so severe that they will require Central Asian governments to rethink projects and plans that just recently seemed to make the most sense from the point of view of market logic. At the same time, the countries of the region will be able to reap certain short- and medium-term benefits from the Russia-West conflict.

In terms of Russian foreign relations, the countries of Central Asia remain the most stable in the former USSR. There is no state or association for which the fight against Russian interests would be a central foreign policy strategy. Potential challenges and threats to stability are primarily related to internal factors, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.

🔗 Central Asia and Crisis in Europe

🔵 Session I of the 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club "Russia – Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability" will be dedicated to geopolitical challenges and joint development of Russia and Central Asian countries. Watch it live on our website!

#CentralAsianValdai2022 #Asia_and_Eurasia

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📍Today, on May 17, Nizhny Novgorod is hosting the 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.

This year’s theme is “Russia — Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability”.

🌏 The Central Asian Conference will be attended by about 40 experts from 9 countries — Russia, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

📎 Programme of the 2nd Central Asian Conference

📆 May 17, Tuesday

10:00 – 10:15 — Opening of the conference. Watch live

10:15 – 11:45 — Session I. Geopolitical Challenges and Joint Development. Watch live

The task of the session is to assess the overall impact of new turbulence, the possibility of a joint response to existential challenges and concrete solutions to those problems that already affect negatively the ability of states to achieve their main development goals.

12:00 – 13:30 — Session II. Collective Security: Threats and Opportunities

The task of the session is to discuss the effectiveness of existing collective tools to respond to new threats, determine the likelihood of new challenges and understand how Russia and the countries of Central Asia can jointly respond to them.

14:30 – 16:00 — Session III. International Trade and Transport of Central Eurasia in the New Conditions

The task of the session is to identify ways and opportunities to reduce damage, but also to identify new opportunities for cooperation in trade, transport and logistics at the international and bilateral level.

16:15 – 17:45 — Session IV. Interregional Cooperation in a Turbulent World

Intensified cooperation between individual regions of Russia and the countries of Central Asia can be an answer to many questions and challenges.

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🎥 LIVE: at 10:00 the opening of the 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club "Russia – Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability" will start. The first session, titled "Geopolitical Challenges and Joint Development" will follow.

https://vk.com/video-117768947_456239363

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🗺 The tripolar world that can shift the world economy and politics towards a qualitatively new development track and lend long-term stability to international relations, as well as flexibility and manoeuvrability.

Over the past decades, the desire of post-Soviet Russia, neo-communist China and a number of other major powers, such as India, Brazil and Iran to form a stable multipolar world with a multi-coloured palette of political cultures and practices, has faced sharp opposition and aggressive policy from the United States, which in the international arena has been guided exclusively by American unilateralism.

 In this context, the current Russian special operation in Eastern Europe opens up a new era in international relations, since, in our opinion, Russia has finally established itself as one of the poles of world politics and economics.

Russia also has all the tools to perform the role of the gravitational centre of one of the three poles of the modern world:

✔️ the CSTO is a military-political instrument
✔️ the EAEU is an economic instrument
✔️ Eurasianism is a political, cultural and ideological instrument

We can state that Russia is aimed at maintaining a lasting peace and ensuring socio-political stability throughout Eurasia. Therefore, constructive and progressive forces in Tajikistan have fully supported and will continue to support our Russian partners in this matter, writes Rustam Khaydarov, Doctor of Philosophy, Deputy Director of Tajikistan’s Bahovaddinov Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Law.

🔗 On the Current Geopolitical Situation in Eurasia: A View from Tajikistan

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🛡🌏 Security is not a result, but a process that must be continuous.

The events of August 2021 in Afghanistan have become an unprecedented test for Russia and the countries of Central Asia in their ability to respond to crises. Preventive operational measures, taken at the bilateral level as well as within the framework of the CSTO and the SCO, have made it possible to eliminate risks and reduce tension.

Russia and the countries of Central Asia have entered a new era of relations against the background of greater instability and unpredictability in the world. Difficulties cannot be avoided. However, Russia and the countries of Central Asia share a wealth of experience jointly overcoming emerging obstacles to independent development.

There is every reason to believe that Russia and the countries of Central Asia will easily pass the next "test" of the reliability of their interaction and the strength of their cooperation, writes Rashid Alimov, SCO Secretary-General (2016–2018).

🔗 Russia - Central Asia: How to Develop Cooperation Amid Unstable Conditions

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🚞 Central Asia is a region with a large transit potential in the global transport system, but the lack of access to the sea and problems in the interaction between the countries of the region hinder the effective use of these opportunities.

Especially for the 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club we created an infographic on transport corridors of Central Asia. The full high-res infographic is available via this link.

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📍Today, on May 18, the 2nd Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club is continuing in Nizhny Novgorod.

This year’s theme is “Russia — Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability”.

🌏 The Central Asian Conference will be attended by about 40 experts from 9 countries — Russia, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

📎 Programme of the 2nd Central Asian Conference

📆 May 18, Wednesday

09:30 – 11:30 — Open discussion on topical issues of the region. Watch live

The purpose of this session is to give experts an opportunity to assess the most important new areas of interaction between Russia and the countries of Central Asia within the framework of a free exchange of views and to identify those issues and problems that have not yet fully manifested themselves.

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🎥 LIVE: at 9:30 an open discussion on topical issues of Central Asia is starting.

The discussion is hosted by the Valdai Club within the framework of its 2nd Central Asian Conference "Russia – Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability".

https://vk.com/video-117768947_456239364

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🇷🇺🌏 Farewell to the Comfort Zone: Russia and Central Asia in the New World

On Tuesday, May 17, the Second Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club began its work in Nizhny Novgorod.

During the opening ceremony, the participants of the conference were greeted by Gleb Nikitin, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, and Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

According to the governor, the choice of Nizhny Novgorod as the venue for this event indicates the growing importance of the region on Russia's international agenda. Preparations for the 800th anniversary of the city, which was celebrated last year, became an occasion to rethink its role, he noted. The governor added that the cooperation of the Nizhny Novgorod region with the countries of Central Asia, which accounts for up to 10% of the total exports of the region, is of particular importance. Cardinal changes in the geopolitical situation are opening up more and more opportunities for the implementation of joint projects, he noted.

In turn, Andrey Rudenko spoke about the importance of Central Asia for Russia. He noted that Central Asia is a region that in our turbulent times is perceived as an island of stability. According to the deputy minister, the Central Asian partners "are sympathetic to the ongoing processes and are ready to give us a shoulder". In the context of geopolitical changes, Russia's foreign policy should be adjusted, and Central Asia will occupy an important, privileged place, he stressed.

The first, open session of the conference was devoted to geopolitical challenges and the joint development of the countries of the region and their neighbours. 

📝 Read our analytical note on the first day of the Conference.

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🇦🇫 One of the lethal aspects of the Afghan crisis that would endanger international security dynamics concerns the inconsistent Afghanistan policy of the US and NATO member states.

Instead of complimenting the Afghan Taliban to stabilise and engage all stakeholders, the ideological battles are being waged on sectarian grounds. A new product of transnational terrorism is in the making.

How this will impact the countries of the region, including Pakistan, Iran, Russia, and China, must be a matter of serious concern. This makes it more likely that ISIS, after destroying Afghan peace, might be deployed beyond the region because ISIS and other militant outfits have been used as a “peace disrupting” tool in different conflict zones.

The current and future conflicts may well be supplied with more recruits from Afghanistan, Europe and the Middle East.

Russia and the US must not demote Afghanistan over the Ukraine conflict. To avert the renewal of ISIS and other militant outfits in Afghanistan, Russia, the US, China, and Pakistan should continue to cooperate over Afghan peace, writes Muhammad Athar Javed,  Director General of Pakistan House.

🔗 Afghanistan and the Crisis in Europe: Kabul’s Prospects for Peace

#CentralAsianValdai2022 #Afghanistan

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🌏 Central Asia and the Era of New Bipolarity

On Wednesday, May 18, the Second Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club ended in Nizhny Novgorod.

That day, an open discussion took place on the urgent problems facing the region. In the framework of a free exchange of views, the participants assessed the most important new areas of interaction between Russia and the countries of Central Asia, identifying those issues and problems that have not yet fully manifested themselves. 

Let's recall that the theme of the conference was "Russia — Central Asia: Cooperation and Development Amid Instability". An open discussion showed that the question of how to live in an era of instability is the most topical for all participants, without exception.

📝 Read our analytical note on the second day of the Conference

#CentralAsianValdai2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🇹🇯🇷🇺 The transport corridors of Russia and Central and South Asia can become development corridors.

For 30 years, Tajikistan and Russia have successfully coordinated efforts in the field of foreign policy support of socio-economic, migration, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, and interacted in the field of defence policy and security, which is important for all of Central Asia.

The core element of the Tajik-Russian strategic partnership and alliance is the coordination of joint actions in the international arena in a bilateral format, as well as within the framework of global and regional organisations such as the UN, the CSTO, the CIS, the SCO, etc.

For Tajikistan, Russia continues to be the main trading partner. 

Russia and the states of Central and South Asia should form a set of ties in the field of economy, security, culture and sustainable development in the face of hybrid challenges to stability in the new macro-region stretching from the Arctic Ocean (with the access of the Central Asian states to the northern Arctic sea trade route) to the seaports of the Indian Ocean, writes Guzel Majtdinova.

🔗 Tajik-Russian Interregional Cooperation in a Turbulent World: Features of Integration and Co-Development

#CentralAsianValdai2022 #Asia_and_Eurasia #Tajikistan

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🇮🇳🌏 India has close geo-political and geo-cultural relationship with the countries in Central Asia.

Despite similar security concerns emanating from Afghanistan and mutual close cultural ties due to geographical proximity, India and the Central Asian countries were unable to impart a geo-economic logic to their relations due to lack of direct connectivity.

India had announced its Connect Central Asia policy in 2012 at Bishkek, seeking to connect with Central Asia through physical, air, people to people and digital connectivity.

However, despite its forward looking attitude, the policy suffered due to lack of institutionalised mechanisms to engage Central Asian countries at the political and economic levels. At the same time, connectivity initiatives could not pick pace due to geopolitical strains, writes Raj Kumar Sharma.

#CentralAsianValdai2022 #Asia_and_Eurasia #India

@valdai_club

🇷🇺🌏 A deep level of interdependence, ideally, should ensure the strategic nature of relations between the countries of Central Asia and Russia and guarantee the good-neighbourly nature of relations.

At the same time, the request for a multi-vector nature of the Central Asian republics, as well as sometimes domestic processes, have compelled the authorities of the countries in the region to look for ways to diversify their foreign policy, economic contacts, investments and technological packages.

The Ukrainian crisis has served as a serious catalyst for this process, prompting regional players to at least rethink the status quo.

The turn of Russian foreign policy to the East, announced earlier, is today becoming more and more relevant; it is impossible without a reset of relations with strategic partners in Central Asia, which should become a key transit space, a link between Russia and the countries of South Asia, writes Valdai Club expert Stanislav Pritchin.

#CentralAsianValdai2022 #Asia_and_Eurasia

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