💡Dear friends! We just added a list of speakers to the programme of the Valdai Club Middle East conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”.

📌 Programme

👥 List of speakers

The Conference #MIDDLE_EAST2022 will be held on February 21–22 with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Live broadcasts of open sessions will be available on our website in English, Russian and Arabic.

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📌 #MIDDLE_EAST2022: Programme of the first day of the Valdai Club Middle East conference with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”

📆 February 21, Monday

10:30–10:40 — Opening of the conference (Live: in English, in Russian, in Arabic)

10:40–11:30 — Session 1. Russian Agenda in the Middle East: Priorities for 2022 (Live: in English, in Russian, in Arabic)

Russia remains a key actor in the Middle East, using the entire spectrum of its political, diplomatic and military capabilities in this part of the world. This session is devoted to the main areas of activity of Russian diplomacy and politics in the coming period.

12:00–13:30 — Session 2. Looking to the Future of Energy Markets: How Not to Turn the Green Transition into an Energy Crisis

The Green Agenda is becoming the leitmotif of international politics and economics. Leading powers are revising their strategies considering the fact that the climatic factor will increasingly impact decision making. Energy producing countries will have to balance on the brink. Coordination of efforts is more important than ever.

14:30–16:00 — Session 3. Collective Security Systems: New Principles for a New Stage (Live: in English, in Russian, in Arabic)

Security systems are in crisis. The problems in the Middle East, East Asia and the Asia-Pacific are raising the question of what an effective balance will look like on the next historical stage.
The purpose of this session is to highlight the Russian interpretation of how to approach the issues of ensuring regional security from Europe to East Asia, from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan in a new era.

16:30–18:00 — Session 4. Rebuilding the Economy on a New Basis: How Russia and the Middle East Can Seize Post-Crisis Opportunities (Live: in English, in Russian, in Arabic)

Whenever the pandemic ends, the phase of economic recovery will begin in any case, but most likely, economic approaches will have to be substantially revised. Russia and the countries of the Middle East have different economic opportunities, which often complement each other. What can Russia offer to the region, and what is it counting on itself?

🔗 Programme of the Valdai Club Middle East conference

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

UPD: The livestream is over. The video of the session will be available soon via the same link. Stay tuned!

🎥 LIVE (in English): Russian Agenda in the Middle East: Priorities for 2022. Opening and First Session of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference

The live broadcast starts at 10:30 a.m. Moscow Time

Russia remains a key actor in the Middle East, using the entire spectrum of its political, diplomatic and military capabilities in this part of the world. Although serious problems persist in region, the situation there is much more stable than it was five or six years ago. Moscow is gradually changing the nature of its presence, with emergency “firefighting” being replaced by systematic work to build long-term stabilization and development arrangements. Russia’s relations with a number of countries are fully consistent with the concept of “strategic partnership.”

This session is devoted to the main areas of activity of Russian diplomacy and politics in the coming period.

Working languages: English, Arabic, Russian.

📌 Read the Programme for details.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🇷🇺🌍 Does Russia need a new Middle East strategy?

This is the first question that springs to mind. After all, Russia has been quite successful, in some cases even outperforming the Soviet Union. In fact, Russia has succeeded in developing a close relationship with Israel while maintaining its trust-based ties with Palestine, as well as building an alliance with Syria all while strengthening relations with Iran, which used to call the USSR a “Little Satan”. Who could have imagined all that?

Russian Middle East policy stands on three main pillars:

1️⃣ The first one deals with ensuring security and defence.

2️⃣ The second one consists of building Greater Eurasia.

3️⃣ The third pillar is designed to create a favourable international framework for Russia’s technological transition and achieving technological breakthroughs.

Life moves on, and the Middle East is rapidly changing. Just as importantly, the global balance of power is also shifting.

❓With everything changing so quickly, how do you save what you already have while keeping up with the latest developments and trends, but without overexerting oneself on matters that are too far to be worth the effort?

A new Valdai Club report “New Middle East Strategy: Countries and Focal Points” has been prepared especially for the Middle East conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” and devoted to Russia's relations with individual countries and sub-regions within the Middle East in different dimensions – bilateral and multilateral.

🔗 Russia’s New Middle East Strategy: Countries and Focal Points

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🇷🇺🌍 Middle East: Hotbeds of Tension and Russia's Priorities — INFOGRAPHIC

The infographic has been prepared especially for the new Valdai Club report “New Middle East Strategy: Countries and Focal Points” within the framework of the Middle East conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”.

🔗 The full high-res infographic is available on our website.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📷 Session 2 “Looking to the Future of Energy Markets: How Not to Turn the Green Transition into an Energy Crisis” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

📌 The Valdai Club Middle East Conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” is taking place on February 21-22 and is hosted with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👉 Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🎥 LIVE (in English): Session 3 “Collective Security Systems: New Principles for a New Stage” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

Live broadcast of the third session starts at 2:30 p.m. Moscow Time

Security systems are in crisis. This is especially noticeable in Europe, where it was believed that no problems should arise. However, the principles established after the Cold War do not work, since they were based on the interests of only one side. The unlimited expansion of NATO has led to the emergence of new tensions that cannot be eliminated without revising a number of basic principles. Nevertheless, Europe is just one of the manifestations of the general trend. The system of alliances and relations in the field of security inherited from the twentieth century requires qualitatively different approaches around the world. The problems in the Middle East, East Asia and the Asia-Pacific are raising the question of what an effective balance will look like on the next historical stage.

The purpose of this session is to highlight the Russian interpretation of how to approach the issues of ensuring regional security from Europe to East Asia, from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan in a new era. The failed attempt to create a world order based on Western security institutions requires enhanced action and a flight of imagination.

Working languages: English, Arabic, Russian.

📌 Read the Programme for details.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🎥 LIVE (in English): Session 4 “Rebuilding the Economy on a New Basis: How Russia and the Middle East Can Seize Post-Crisis Opportunities” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

Live broadcast of the third session starts at 4:30 p.m. Moscow Time

Whenever the pandemic ends, the phase of economic recovery will begin in any case, but most likely, economic approaches will have to be substantially revised. The general conditions of economic activity in the world are changing, globalization is entering a new phase. Russia and the countries of the Middle East have different economic opportunities, which often complement each other. What can Russia offer to the region, and what is it counting on itself?

Working languages: English, Arabic, Russian.

📌 Read the Programme for details.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📷 Session 4 “Rebuilding the Economy on a New Basis: How Russia and the Middle East Can Seize Post-Crisis Opportunities” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

📌 The Valdai Club Middle East Conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” is taking place on February 21-22 and is hosted with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👉 Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

🎞 The video of the discussion will be available via this link soon.

Stay tuned!

#MIDDLE_EAST2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🛣 Although the agreement to establish the multimodal International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) was signed 20 years ago, the corridor is still not operational.

However, there are now a number of factors that will support the INSTC’s successful operation. These include:

▪️The EAEU’s increased engagement with India, Iran, and other South Asian and Gulf countries

▪️The substantial potential for linking the INSTC with latitudinal transport routes

▪️Accelerated digitalisation processes, and a dramatic strengthening of the climate agenda.

The main advantage of the  North-South international transport corridor over other routes is a significant reduction in the time spent on transportation.

Its launch would contribute to the formation of a macro-regional transport and logistics system - the Eurasian transport framework, which will serve as the basis for the development of trade and investment partnerships within Eurasia, says Evgeny Vinokurov, speaking at the fourth session of the 11th Valdai Club Middle East Conference – 2022. We publish the main theses of his speech.

🔗 Russia and Middle East Need International North-South Transport Corridor

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast #Eurasia #Transport

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📌 #MIDDLE_EAST2022: Programme of the second day of the Valdai Club Middle East conference with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”

📆 February 22, Tuesday

09:30–10:30 — Meeting with Faisal Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic (Live: in English, in Russian, in Arabic)

11:00–12:30 — Session 5. World-Changing Migration: The Dilemma Between Humanism and Maintaining Stability

Migration is becoming one of the most significant socio-political and economic processes that has a growing impact on both origin and destination countries. That requires a comprehensive strategy that takes into account humanitarian needs, but does not allow migration flows to turn into a factor of destabilization of states.

13:00–14:30 — Session 6. Cultural Change and Societal Attitudes: Are Young People Embracing a Traditionalist Message?

The pandemic has accelerated complex social processes around the world, including cultural and social stratification, also between generations. How to combine the aspirations of different generations and develop a model of society that is resistant to the challenges of a disordered world?

🔗 Programme of the Valdai Club Middle East conference

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🎥 LIVE: Meeting with Faisal Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic (Live: in English, in Russian, in Arabic)

Live broadcast of the meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. Moscow Time

#MIDDLE_EAST2022

https://valdaiclub.com/multimedia/video/meeting-with-a-senior-foreign-official/

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📷 Session 5 “World-Changing Migration: The Dilemma Between Humanism and Maintaining Stability” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

📌 The Valdai Club Middle East Conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” is taking place on February 21-22 and is hosted with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👉 Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

📷 Session 6 “Cultural Change and Societal Attitudes: Are Young People Embracing a Traditionalist Message?” of the Valdai Club 11th Middle East Conference.

📌 The Valdai Club Middle East Conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests” took place in Moscow on February 21-22 and with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

👉 Photo gallery of the discussion is available on our Instagram.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🇷🇺🇨🇳 The old world order of U.S.-dominated unipolarity, long ailing from open-ended conflicts abroad and hyper partisan strife at home, had died.

Less of a coup d'etat and more of a calculated merger of strategies on the world stage, China and Russia’s decision to coordinate their combined power and influence will likely have profound implications for the future of international relations.

And in the Middle East, a resource-rich region at the center of some of the world’s deadliest conflicts and most intense crises in recent years, China and Russia have already begun to carefully balance risk and opportunity to foster a foothold in a region where the U.S. has firmly established itself as the leading guarantor of the lucrative oil and gas reserves and routes that fuel much of the globe.

Today, China and Russia’s bonds, amplified by a rare warmness expressed by Xi and Putin in their personal interactions, makes such a schism unlikely in the near-term, even if Washington foreign policy circles have counted on it for some time.

Worse still for Washington is a marked decline in the U.S.’ most potent asset, its soft power, in many parts of the world, writes Tom O’Connor, Senior Foreign Policy Writer, Newsweek, participant of the Valdai Club Middle East conference.

🔗 The Emergence of the China-Russia Consensus in the Middle East

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #China #MiddleEast #WorldOrder

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🪙🌍 The economy of the Middle East has experienced two extreme turns in its history.

In the Middle Ages, this part of the world was more developed economically, scientifically and culturally than West. However, in the 17-19th centuries, the Middle East fell significantly behind the Western countries in development.

🎞 You can find out more about the economic development of the region in the 21st century in our videoinfographic.

ℹ️ The infographic has been prepared especially for the Middle East conference “Russia and the Middle East: Strategic Rapprochement and Interweaving of Interests”.

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast #economy

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🌍 Problems and Challenges of the Middle East

On February 21-22, 2022, the Valdai Discussion Club held its regular annual 11th Middle East conference with the support of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Experts from many countries of the region attended the venue, as well as experts from Russia and the EU countries.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent a greeting message to the participants of the conference. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov spoke at the conference, as well as Faisal Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Compatriots Affairs of Syria.

💬 Oleg Barabanov, Programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club, writes about the Conference.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/problems-and-challenges-of-the-middle-east/

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #valdaiclub #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club

🌍 The Arab world sees how the centre of international tension is shifting from the Middle East.

In international relations at the regional level, the trend towards de-escalation and the reduction of tension remains relevant. The countries of the region, weakened by the economic consequences of the pandemic, are not interested in continuing conflicts.

However, there is a pragmatic understanding that a complete and final settlement is not possible everywhere; the minimum task is to prevent new outbreaks of hostilities. This attitude is noticeable in relation to the crises in Syria and Libya. At the same time, there is a tendency to further normalise relations between the Arab countries and Israel and turn it into a partner.

Most likely, the basis of the new security architecture will be the system of checks and balances created by the countries of the region themselves, and not security guarantees from external actors.

That is, we are talking about a self-regulating system where the states of the region would exercise foreign policy more independently, writes Valdai Club expert Nikolay Surkov.

🔗 Trends in the Middle East Through the Valdai Lens

#MIDDLE_EAST2022 #MiddleEast

@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club