⚔️ Brave Old World: Wars and Historical Normality Without Rose-Coloured Spectacles
On October 18, the Valdai Club presented a report, titled “Warfare in a New Epoch: The Return of Big Armies”.
💬 The moderator was Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Club. He emphasised that the conflict in Ukraine refutes a concept that had prevailed for a long time, according to which modern warfare is a war with small forces, adding that it demonstrates the relevance of large military units. “War remains the same phenomenon that we have observed for centuries. The dominant view in recent years was an illusion,” he concluded.
💬 Co-author of the report Vasily Kashin, Director of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, noted that the events in Ukraine illustrate that conflicts involving states are becoming larger in scale, pursuing more decisive goals and demonstrating the readiness of all players to make sacrifices that for a long time were considered impossible. This is due to the changing balance of power in the world. External crises are accompanied by internal ones. As a result, conflicts are escalating around the world. According to him, the big countries will have to return to the basics of military-economic planning that were generally accepted in the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.
💬 Lieutenant general (ret.) Evgeniy Buzhinsky, Chairman of the PIR Center Council, pointed out that when in the 2000s Russia suspended the CFE Treaty due to its inconsistency with modern realities, and the process of understanding the new situation began, the expert community spoke not about the scale and duration of conflicts, but about new categories of weapons. Tank battles and artillery duels in Europe seemed unthinkable. “The Ukrainian conflict has shown: the tanks are back, the artillery is back,” he said. According to Buzhinsky, in the next wars, whatever they may be, all current means of armed struggle will remain, but on a qualitatively new level.
💬 Gregory Simons, an independent expert from Sweden, drew parallels between the conflict in Ukraine and the Iran-Iraq war. In his opinion, Iraq was not a subject, but an object in the war and was forced to rely entirely on American support. Similarly, Ukraine is now not a subject, but an object against the backdrop of US attempts to block the movement towards a multipolar world. American politicians, ignoring the media rhetoric about moral confrontation, quite frankly say that they perceive this conflict as a means to wear Russia down.
💬 Dmitry Stefanovich @stratdela, a researcher at the Centre for International Security at IMEMO RAS, noted that the role of external support is important both in the current conflicts and in future conflicts. If this support is not stopped in one way or another, then the conflict can become extremely long-lasting. He also pointed to the high level of transparency in modern conflicts and the enormous amount of available data. However, how much this data helps one get the real picture is not clear: the data is too easy to manipulate. It is even difficult to say how to measure the potentials of the parties at war. In addition, Stefanovich raised the possibility of long-term support for the defence industry and big armies.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/brave-old-world-wars-and-historical-normality-without-rose-coloured-spectacles/
#ModernDiplomacy #valdai_report #ProxyWar #warfare #WorldOrder
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On October 18, the Valdai Club presented a report, titled “Warfare in a New Epoch: The Return of Big Armies”.
💬 The moderator was Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Club. He emphasised that the conflict in Ukraine refutes a concept that had prevailed for a long time, according to which modern warfare is a war with small forces, adding that it demonstrates the relevance of large military units. “War remains the same phenomenon that we have observed for centuries. The dominant view in recent years was an illusion,” he concluded.
💬 Co-author of the report Vasily Kashin, Director of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, noted that the events in Ukraine illustrate that conflicts involving states are becoming larger in scale, pursuing more decisive goals and demonstrating the readiness of all players to make sacrifices that for a long time were considered impossible. This is due to the changing balance of power in the world. External crises are accompanied by internal ones. As a result, conflicts are escalating around the world. According to him, the big countries will have to return to the basics of military-economic planning that were generally accepted in the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.
💬 Lieutenant general (ret.) Evgeniy Buzhinsky, Chairman of the PIR Center Council, pointed out that when in the 2000s Russia suspended the CFE Treaty due to its inconsistency with modern realities, and the process of understanding the new situation began, the expert community spoke not about the scale and duration of conflicts, but about new categories of weapons. Tank battles and artillery duels in Europe seemed unthinkable. “The Ukrainian conflict has shown: the tanks are back, the artillery is back,” he said. According to Buzhinsky, in the next wars, whatever they may be, all current means of armed struggle will remain, but on a qualitatively new level.
💬 Gregory Simons, an independent expert from Sweden, drew parallels between the conflict in Ukraine and the Iran-Iraq war. In his opinion, Iraq was not a subject, but an object in the war and was forced to rely entirely on American support. Similarly, Ukraine is now not a subject, but an object against the backdrop of US attempts to block the movement towards a multipolar world. American politicians, ignoring the media rhetoric about moral confrontation, quite frankly say that they perceive this conflict as a means to wear Russia down.
💬 Dmitry Stefanovich @stratdela, a researcher at the Centre for International Security at IMEMO RAS, noted that the role of external support is important both in the current conflicts and in future conflicts. If this support is not stopped in one way or another, then the conflict can become extremely long-lasting. He also pointed to the high level of transparency in modern conflicts and the enormous amount of available data. However, how much this data helps one get the real picture is not clear: the data is too easy to manipulate. It is even difficult to say how to measure the potentials of the parties at war. In addition, Stefanovich raised the possibility of long-term support for the defence industry and big armies.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/brave-old-world-wars-and-historical-normality-without-rose-coloured-spectacles/
#ModernDiplomacy #valdai_report #ProxyWar #warfare #WorldOrder
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Valdai Club
Brave Old World: Wars and Historical Normality Without Rose-Coloured Spectacles
On October 18, the Valdai Club presented a report, titled “Warfare in a New Epoch: The Return of Big Armies”. The moderator was Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Club. He emphasised that the conflict in Ukraine refutes a concept that had prevailed…
🌎 As our world progresses into a new world order described by some as “fair multipolarity”, we must acknowledge that such a transformation will not be met without resistance by the forces wishing to maintain a unipolar world order that is no longer sustainable.
We can come to three important conclusions at this conjuncture:
1️⃣ First, as long as the US uses unilateral coercive measures as a foreign policy tool, it will continue to employ them in attempts to control the energy market and to prevent competitors from having access to resources that could help them surpass US development in key areas.
2️⃣ Second, there is a “new Washington consensus” promoted by US national security strategists directed at building back US technological leadership through public investment used to finance a military-industrial policy where access to oil is key. For this purpose, political and military pressures will be employed along with the sanctions toolkit.
3️⃣ And finally, in light of this new policy, countries must build geopolitical alternatives that diminish US influence on energy markets and financial transactions.
It is through decisive and concerted action by the countries most affected by unilateralism that we can advance towards the global equilibrium that the world requires, writes Carlos Ron, Venezuela’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America and President of the Simon Bolivar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-continuous-political-and-military-threats/
#ModernDiplomacy #multipolarity #Venezuela
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We can come to three important conclusions at this conjuncture:
It is through decisive and concerted action by the countries most affected by unilateralism that we can advance towards the global equilibrium that the world requires, writes Carlos Ron, Venezuela’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America and President of the Simon Bolivar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-continuous-political-and-military-threats/
#ModernDiplomacy #multipolarity #Venezuela
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Valdai Club
The Continuous Political and Military Threats Against Fair Multipolarity: A View From Venezuela
As our world progresses into a new world order described by some as “fair multipolarity”, we must acknowledge that such a transformation will not be met without resistance by the forces wishing to maintain a unipolar world order that is no longer sustainable.…
🇷🇺🇮🇳 Russian-Indian strategic cooperation has been successfully developing for many decades.
The foundation of the Russian-Indian partnership is mutual respect for the uniqueness of the civilizations of the two countries. We recognise the unique nature of the civilizational choice of our peoples and recognise the value of the special path that our countries have chosen. This attitude is a decreasing value in modern world politics, which seeks to standardise and unify all approaches to the interaction of countries, presenting them as identical billiard balls.
Moscow and New Delhi stand for strengthening national sovereignty and refusing to interfere in each other's affairs. Russia and India also mutually respect the interests of their partner in international relations, recognise their legitimacy, and share an emphasis on equality in relations with each other and with other countries.
This is especially important in an environment in which international relations are beginning to be determined by a narrow circle of countries that consider themselves to have the right to dictate their will.
Our common interest in the formation of polycentricity and the preservation of strategic autonomy and subjectivity in an international environment that is constantly becoming denser, as well as our intentions not to yield to the pressure of external forces that call for the channelling of foreign policy strategy in a direction beneficial to them, should unite our countries, writes Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Dean of the School of International Relations at MGIMO University.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/what-is-the-big-idea-of-russia-india-relations/
#ModernDiplomacy #Russia #India #BRICS
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The foundation of the Russian-Indian partnership is mutual respect for the uniqueness of the civilizations of the two countries. We recognise the unique nature of the civilizational choice of our peoples and recognise the value of the special path that our countries have chosen. This attitude is a decreasing value in modern world politics, which seeks to standardise and unify all approaches to the interaction of countries, presenting them as identical billiard balls.
Moscow and New Delhi stand for strengthening national sovereignty and refusing to interfere in each other's affairs. Russia and India also mutually respect the interests of their partner in international relations, recognise their legitimacy, and share an emphasis on equality in relations with each other and with other countries.
This is especially important in an environment in which international relations are beginning to be determined by a narrow circle of countries that consider themselves to have the right to dictate their will.
Our common interest in the formation of polycentricity and the preservation of strategic autonomy and subjectivity in an international environment that is constantly becoming denser, as well as our intentions not to yield to the pressure of external forces that call for the channelling of foreign policy strategy in a direction beneficial to them, should unite our countries, writes Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Dean of the School of International Relations at MGIMO University.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/what-is-the-big-idea-of-russia-india-relations/
#ModernDiplomacy #Russia #India #BRICS
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Valdai Club
What Is the ‘Big Idea’ of Russia-India Relations?
Russian-Indian strategic cooperation has been successfully developing for many decades. The USSR was one of the key countries that provided assistance and support to the young Indian republic in its formative years. Over the years of development of bilateral…
🇵🇸 The recent crisis in Gaza was totally unexpected and confusing to the entire world, which was not prepared for the greater magnitude of escalation in the strategic region.
The impact of the conflict was more severe for North African countries, as they are already experiencing worsening economic and political crises. The region is struggling, with instability in Libya and chronic tension between Algeria and Morocco. Egypt has suddenly found itself facing a war on its borders, as it neighbours the two sides of the crisis, the Gaza Strip and Israel.
There is an urgent need for serious and active move from all countries to stop the war. The risks of a widening war are increasing. The burning fire must be extinguished before it turns into a regional or international war, a worst-case scenario that nobody wants to see happen, writes Nourhan ElSheikh.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/north-african-countries-and-the-palestinian-crisis/
#ModernDiplomacy #Palestine #GlobalSouth
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The impact of the conflict was more severe for North African countries, as they are already experiencing worsening economic and political crises. The region is struggling, with instability in Libya and chronic tension between Algeria and Morocco. Egypt has suddenly found itself facing a war on its borders, as it neighbours the two sides of the crisis, the Gaza Strip and Israel.
There is an urgent need for serious and active move from all countries to stop the war. The risks of a widening war are increasing. The burning fire must be extinguished before it turns into a regional or international war, a worst-case scenario that nobody wants to see happen, writes Nourhan ElSheikh.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/north-african-countries-and-the-palestinian-crisis/
#ModernDiplomacy #Palestine #GlobalSouth
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Valdai Club
North African Countries and the Palestinian Crisis: A New Circle of Escalation
There is an urgent need for serious and active move from all countries to stop the war. The risks of a widening war are increasing. The burning fire must be extinguished before it turns into a regional or international war, a worst-case scenario that nobody…
🇹🇷🇵🇸🇮🇱 In the aftermath of the breakout of the another regional crisis in the Middle East, Ankara was cautious before taking sides and called for an immediate ceasefire.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proactively sought a diplomatic solution by employing telephone diplomacy and dispatching Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to the capitals in the region. Ankara’s message was clear: there is a need for a two-state solution, and the international community should work on a political framework after a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages between the parties. Ankara’s position reflects Turkey’s traditional foreign policy on the Palestinian issue, which it has maintained for decades.
AK Party officials, with President Erdogan at the helm, were careful to avoid bashing Israel and PM Benjamin Netanyahu as the humanitarian crisis deepened in the first two weeks. Instead, President Erdogan vocally questioned the increasing presence of the US military in the region, as aircraft carriers approached the Eastern Mediterranean, and called for humanitarian assistance to be allowed to be sent via the Rafah border.
An incident at al-Ahli ignites a stark transformation in Ankara's diplomatic voice, revealing the deep undercurrents of ideology and domestic politics that could reconfigure regional alliances and reshape Turkey's geopolitical path, writes Hasan Selim Özertem, Ankara-based political analyst.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/israel-hamas-conflict-shifting-discourses-Turkey/
#ModernDiplomacy #Turkey #HAMAS #Israel
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proactively sought a diplomatic solution by employing telephone diplomacy and dispatching Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to the capitals in the region. Ankara’s message was clear: there is a need for a two-state solution, and the international community should work on a political framework after a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages between the parties. Ankara’s position reflects Turkey’s traditional foreign policy on the Palestinian issue, which it has maintained for decades.
AK Party officials, with President Erdogan at the helm, were careful to avoid bashing Israel and PM Benjamin Netanyahu as the humanitarian crisis deepened in the first two weeks. Instead, President Erdogan vocally questioned the increasing presence of the US military in the region, as aircraft carriers approached the Eastern Mediterranean, and called for humanitarian assistance to be allowed to be sent via the Rafah border.
An incident at al-Ahli ignites a stark transformation in Ankara's diplomatic voice, revealing the deep undercurrents of ideology and domestic politics that could reconfigure regional alliances and reshape Turkey's geopolitical path, writes Hasan Selim Özertem, Ankara-based political analyst.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/israel-hamas-conflict-shifting-discourses-Turkey/
#ModernDiplomacy #Turkey #HAMAS #Israel
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🇩🇿 At the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, Algeria’s candidacy was not retained to join the 5-member grouping.
Six out of 23 candidates were chosen: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
While politically, Algeria is the ideal candidate, its economic standing might not have been attractive enough, at least not yet.
The pause before eventual membership in the BRICS at a later date should entice Algeria to accelerate long-overdue domestic reforms, reflect, innovate, and bolster efforts to position itself as an indisputable player on the global stage, write Yahia H. Zoubir and Xuanrong Wu.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/algeria-at-the-brics-doorstep/
#ModernDiplomacy #Algeria #BRICS
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Six out of 23 candidates were chosen: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
While politically, Algeria is the ideal candidate, its economic standing might not have been attractive enough, at least not yet.
The pause before eventual membership in the BRICS at a later date should entice Algeria to accelerate long-overdue domestic reforms, reflect, innovate, and bolster efforts to position itself as an indisputable player on the global stage, write Yahia H. Zoubir and Xuanrong Wu.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/algeria-at-the-brics-doorstep/
#ModernDiplomacy #Algeria #BRICS
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🌏 Today, the centre of global economic gravity is inevitably shifting to the East.
Somewhat belatedly, the centre of political initiative will also shift to the East. This phenomenon will not be a short-term one, but it will become a determining process during the 21st century and, most likely, beyond.
The West is well aware of the inevitability of this process. Its pressure on the rest of the world, on the non-West, on Russia and on China is an attempt to slow down the shift to the East or to preserve Western initiative in the complex new world, and to achieve preferential terms of interaction with the rest of the world.
The fact that the West will become another region of the world on a par with others, an important and significant one, but not a global leader or hegemon, is the most important characteristic feature of the emerging order. The world in full is becoming uniformly dense, complex and influential. However, this process will take some time and will not happen overnight.
Americans view multipolarity as an unstable situation with a large number of risks and threats. From the Russian point of view, this understanding is erroneous. American actions, as the last 30 years have illustrated, lead to increased tension and the accumulation of contradictions that explode into military crises, writes Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Dean of the School of International Relations at MGIMO University.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-crumbling-of-the-world-order-and-a-vision/
#ModernDiplomacy #WorldOrder #multipolarity
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Somewhat belatedly, the centre of political initiative will also shift to the East. This phenomenon will not be a short-term one, but it will become a determining process during the 21st century and, most likely, beyond.
The West is well aware of the inevitability of this process. Its pressure on the rest of the world, on the non-West, on Russia and on China is an attempt to slow down the shift to the East or to preserve Western initiative in the complex new world, and to achieve preferential terms of interaction with the rest of the world.
The fact that the West will become another region of the world on a par with others, an important and significant one, but not a global leader or hegemon, is the most important characteristic feature of the emerging order. The world in full is becoming uniformly dense, complex and influential. However, this process will take some time and will not happen overnight.
Americans view multipolarity as an unstable situation with a large number of risks and threats. From the Russian point of view, this understanding is erroneous. American actions, as the last 30 years have illustrated, lead to increased tension and the accumulation of contradictions that explode into military crises, writes Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Dean of the School of International Relations at MGIMO University.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-crumbling-of-the-world-order-and-a-vision/
#ModernDiplomacy #WorldOrder #multipolarity
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Valdai Club
The Crumbling of the World Order and a Vision of Multipolarity: The Position of Russia and the West
The United States perceives peace, security, and stability as a given that happens on its own. According to Washington, no significant efforts are required to maintain it, and when there is a need, the United States itself initiates a military conflict. This…
📆 ANNOUNCEMENT: On November 22 at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the role of the UN in the changing world order.
The UN Charter was signed on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco. In 78 years, the world has changed a lot. The UN is slow to respond to modern challenges: be it a pandemic or climate change. The conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine also revealed shortcomings in the decision-making mechanism within the UN General Assembly. The organisation’s crisis is compounded by the fact that Western countries can still use their dominance of the UN secretariat and UN-affiliated organisations to advance their position.
Moreover, attempts are being made to replace the platform of the United Nations with ad hoc coalitions, and international law with a so-called “rules-based order.” Nevertheless, the UN remains a unique platform for discussing global challenges and resolving crises.
❓How adequate is the United Nations to modern challenges and threats?
❓What is its fate in the changing world order?
❓How could the debate on the Security Council reform end?
❓What role will Russia play in the current process as a founding country?
Participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.
🎙️ Speakers:
🇷🇺 Alexey Borisov, Secretary General, Russian Association for the United Nations, Vice-President of the World Federation of UN Associations
🇷🇺 Vladimir Chernigov, President of the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute and of the ANO “For School Nutrition”
🇹🇷 Çağrı Erhan, Rector of Altinbash University
🇷🇺 Vladimir Grachev, Head of the Expert Council on Geopolitics of the Just World Institute, Senior Advisor to the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General (1997–2003)
🇷🇺 Vladimir Kuznetsov, Director of United Nations Information Centre in Moscow
🇿🇦 Mikatekiso Kubayi, researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue at UNISA, research fellow at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Dialogue (South Africa)
🇮🇳 Asoke Kumar Mukherji, Permanent Representative of India to the UN (2013-2014), Honorary Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation
Moderator:
🗣 Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club
Working languages: Russian, English.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-role-of-the-un-in-the-changing-world-order/
ℹ️ Information for the media: Dear journalists, in order to be accredited for the event, 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.
A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
🗣 🗣 🗣
The UN Charter was signed on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco. In 78 years, the world has changed a lot. The UN is slow to respond to modern challenges: be it a pandemic or climate change. The conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine also revealed shortcomings in the decision-making mechanism within the UN General Assembly. The organisation’s crisis is compounded by the fact that Western countries can still use their dominance of the UN secretariat and UN-affiliated organisations to advance their position.
Moreover, attempts are being made to replace the platform of the United Nations with ad hoc coalitions, and international law with a so-called “rules-based order.” Nevertheless, the UN remains a unique platform for discussing global challenges and resolving crises.
❓How adequate is the United Nations to modern challenges and threats?
❓What is its fate in the changing world order?
❓How could the debate on the Security Council reform end?
❓What role will Russia play in the current process as a founding country?
Participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.
🎙️ Speakers:
🇷🇺 Alexey Borisov, Secretary General, Russian Association for the United Nations, Vice-President of the World Federation of UN Associations
🇷🇺 Vladimir Chernigov, President of the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute and of the ANO “For School Nutrition”
🇹🇷 Çağrı Erhan, Rector of Altinbash University
🇷🇺 Vladimir Grachev, Head of the Expert Council on Geopolitics of the Just World Institute, Senior Advisor to the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General (1997–2003)
🇷🇺 Vladimir Kuznetsov, Director of United Nations Information Centre in Moscow
🇿🇦 Mikatekiso Kubayi, researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue at UNISA, research fellow at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Dialogue (South Africa)
🇮🇳 Asoke Kumar Mukherji, Permanent Representative of India to the UN (2013-2014), Honorary Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/announcements/valdai-club-to-discuss-role-of-the-un-in-the-changing-world-order/
ℹ️ Information for the media: Dear journalists, in order to be accredited for the event, 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.
A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
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Valdai Club to Discuss the UN Role in the Changing World Order
On November 22 at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the role of the UN in the changing world order.
🇫🇷 Reform of the French Diplomatic Service: Will It Help?
On April 16, 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron signed a decree according to which, from January 1, 2023, two categories of senior ranks of the French diplomatic service, the so-called corps of plenipotentiary envoys and advisers on foreign affairs, were abolished.
At the same time, other specialized categories of civil servants, for example, the corps of prefects, are also being eliminated. All of them will now be lumped into a single “corps of state administrators,” which will number about 6,000 people. In practice, this means that now a diplomat with the rank of minister-counsellor can become a prefect of a department, and the prefect can apply for the post of ambassador in some country.
The authorities justify the expediency of such innovations by citing the need to give the state apparatus a more flexible, open, manageable and less caste-based character. In relation to the diplomatic service, the task is to facilitate access to it for a “wider profile” of civil servants.
The gradual loss of traditions is fraught with the decline of French diplomacy. It is no coincidence that the reform initiated by Macron has coincided with a series of serious failures in his foreign policy, in particular in relations with African countries, former colonies of France, which is especially painful for Paris, Ambassador Alexander Kuznetsov writes.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/reform-of-the-french-diplomatic-service/
#ModernDiplomacy #France #diplomacy
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On April 16, 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron signed a decree according to which, from January 1, 2023, two categories of senior ranks of the French diplomatic service, the so-called corps of plenipotentiary envoys and advisers on foreign affairs, were abolished.
At the same time, other specialized categories of civil servants, for example, the corps of prefects, are also being eliminated. All of them will now be lumped into a single “corps of state administrators,” which will number about 6,000 people. In practice, this means that now a diplomat with the rank of minister-counsellor can become a prefect of a department, and the prefect can apply for the post of ambassador in some country.
The authorities justify the expediency of such innovations by citing the need to give the state apparatus a more flexible, open, manageable and less caste-based character. In relation to the diplomatic service, the task is to facilitate access to it for a “wider profile” of civil servants.
The gradual loss of traditions is fraught with the decline of French diplomacy. It is no coincidence that the reform initiated by Macron has coincided with a series of serious failures in his foreign policy, in particular in relations with African countries, former colonies of France, which is especially painful for Paris, Ambassador Alexander Kuznetsov writes.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/reform-of-the-french-diplomatic-service/
#ModernDiplomacy #France #diplomacy
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Reform of the French Diplomatic Service: Will It Help?
The gradual loss of traditions is fraught with the decline of French diplomacy. It is no coincidence that the reform initiated by Macron has coincided with a series of serious failures in his foreign policy, in particular in relations with African countries…
⏰ TODAY at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the role of the UN in the changing world order.
❓How adequate is the United Nations to modern challenges and threats?
❓What is its fate in the changing world order?
❓How could the debate on the Security Council reform end?
❓What role will Russia play in the current process as a founding country?
Participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.
A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
🗣 🗣 🗣
❓How adequate is the United Nations to modern challenges and threats?
❓What is its fate in the changing world order?
❓How could the debate on the Security Council reform end?
❓What role will Russia play in the current process as a founding country?
Participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.
A link to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, VKontakte, Telegram and Dzen.
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
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🎥 LIVE: An expert discussion dedicated to the role of the UN in the changing world order.
https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239147
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
🗣 🗣 🗣
https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239147
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
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LIVE: UN in the Changing World Order. An Expert Discussion
On November 22 at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the role of the UN in the changing world order. More: https://valdaiclub.com/multimedia/video/un-in-the-changing-world-order/
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
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🇺🇳 The UN as the Air of World Order
On November 22, 2023, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the role of the UN in the changing world order. Moderator Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club, emphasised that the United Nations remains a unique platform for discussing global challenges and resolving crises.
💬 Vladimir Kuznetsov, director of the UN Information Centre in Moscow, briefly reviewed the history of the Organisation and noted that the creation of the UN and the adoption of its charter laid the foundation for the entire post-war security system. Now the world has changed, and the question arises whether the United Nations is capable of meeting the needs of humanity amid the new conditions. Answering this question, Kuznetsov emphasised that the UN in any case remains the cornerstone and an integral part of the world order.
💬 Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to the UN (2013-2014) and Honorary Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation, described India's position in the United Nations. He emphasised that India is one of the founding members of the Organisation. According to him, India has made and continues to make great contributions to the activities of the UN. It takes an active part in peacekeeping operations and sustainable development programmes.
💬 Vladimir Grachev, Head of the Expert Council on Geopolitics of the Just World Institute, former senior advisor to the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General (1997–2003) and director of the Conference Management Office of the UN Office in Geneva (2006–2014), also believes that in a changing world the UN has to adapt to new challenges, and believes it is necessary to reform the Organisation to some extent.
💬 The presence of the UN in the global agenda is like air: if it is removed, we will immediately feel a shortage, said Vladimir Chernigov, President of the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute and of the non-profit organisation For School Nutrition. In his opinion, the topic of food security can become one of the pillars of the new UN system.
💬 “Reforms should be aimed at returning the UN to its main original goal - maintaining peace,” said Altinbash University Rector Çağrı Erhan. Despite the importance of the humanitarian agenda, the UN’s main task is to save the next generations from war, ensure human rights and the equality of nations, and maintain international peace and security. The current UN mechanisms cannot cope with these tasks; that is why the question of reform arises, Erhan added.
💬 Mikatekiso Kubayi, Researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue at UNISA and Research Fellow at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Dialogue (South Africa), presented an African perspective on the problem. According to him, Africa definitely wants to reform the UN, sharing in this sense the sentiments of the whole world. This is especially significant against the backdrop of the Global South gaining weight and subjectivity.
💬 According to Alexey Borisov, Secretary General of the Russian Association for the United Nations and Vice-President of the World Federation of UN Associations, the organisation still maintains its effectiveness on many issues. At the same time, the need for its modernisation is obvious.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-un-as-the-air-of-world-order/
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
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On November 22, 2023, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the role of the UN in the changing world order. Moderator Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club, emphasised that the United Nations remains a unique platform for discussing global challenges and resolving crises.
💬 Vladimir Kuznetsov, director of the UN Information Centre in Moscow, briefly reviewed the history of the Organisation and noted that the creation of the UN and the adoption of its charter laid the foundation for the entire post-war security system. Now the world has changed, and the question arises whether the United Nations is capable of meeting the needs of humanity amid the new conditions. Answering this question, Kuznetsov emphasised that the UN in any case remains the cornerstone and an integral part of the world order.
💬 Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to the UN (2013-2014) and Honorary Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation, described India's position in the United Nations. He emphasised that India is one of the founding members of the Organisation. According to him, India has made and continues to make great contributions to the activities of the UN. It takes an active part in peacekeeping operations and sustainable development programmes.
💬 Vladimir Grachev, Head of the Expert Council on Geopolitics of the Just World Institute, former senior advisor to the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General (1997–2003) and director of the Conference Management Office of the UN Office in Geneva (2006–2014), also believes that in a changing world the UN has to adapt to new challenges, and believes it is necessary to reform the Organisation to some extent.
💬 The presence of the UN in the global agenda is like air: if it is removed, we will immediately feel a shortage, said Vladimir Chernigov, President of the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute and of the non-profit organisation For School Nutrition. In his opinion, the topic of food security can become one of the pillars of the new UN system.
💬 “Reforms should be aimed at returning the UN to its main original goal - maintaining peace,” said Altinbash University Rector Çağrı Erhan. Despite the importance of the humanitarian agenda, the UN’s main task is to save the next generations from war, ensure human rights and the equality of nations, and maintain international peace and security. The current UN mechanisms cannot cope with these tasks; that is why the question of reform arises, Erhan added.
💬 Mikatekiso Kubayi, Researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue at UNISA and Research Fellow at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Dialogue (South Africa), presented an African perspective on the problem. According to him, Africa definitely wants to reform the UN, sharing in this sense the sentiments of the whole world. This is especially significant against the backdrop of the Global South gaining weight and subjectivity.
💬 According to Alexey Borisov, Secretary General of the Russian Association for the United Nations and Vice-President of the World Federation of UN Associations, the organisation still maintains its effectiveness on many issues. At the same time, the need for its modernisation is obvious.
https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-un-as-the-air-of-world-order/
#ModernDiplomacy #UN
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Valdai Club
The UN as the Air of World Order
On November 22, 2023, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the role of the UN in the changing world order. Moderator Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club, emphasised that the United Nations remains a unique platform…
🛤️ Among the six main land routes, three pass through different regions of Eurasia, clearly indicating the role and place of Eurasia in this transit and transportation megaproject.
The 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held between October 17 and 18 in Beijing, China. It marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
What were the results of the Belt and Road Initiative Summit for transport connectivity in Eurasia? In answering this question, the following key points are important.
1️⃣ First, the conflict in Ukraine, extensive Western sanctions against Russia and transit restrictions splitting Russia from the eastern European Union have had a direct and negative impact on the Northern Corridor of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
2️⃣ The second result of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum will be the strengthening of land and rail routes between China and Russia. Although China's transit and trade route to Europe is blocked from Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine, the volume of bilateral trade and transit between Russia and China has increased significantly.
3️⃣ The third result of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be China's investment in infrastructure and new transport and transit technology in Eurasia.
4️⃣ Finally, China's major challenge in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative in Eurasia will be coordinating and combining the goals and interests of this initiative with The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and also the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS.
China should be expected to be much more conservative and cautious in lending and investing during the second decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, writes Vali Kaleji.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/results-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-summit-for/
#ModernDiplomacy #China #Eurasia #BeltAndRoad
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The 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held between October 17 and 18 in Beijing, China. It marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
What were the results of the Belt and Road Initiative Summit for transport connectivity in Eurasia? In answering this question, the following key points are important.
China should be expected to be much more conservative and cautious in lending and investing during the second decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, writes Vali Kaleji.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/results-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-summit-for/
#ModernDiplomacy #China #Eurasia #BeltAndRoad
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Valdai Club
Results of the Belt and Road Initiative Summit for Transport Connectivity in Eurasia
In his article, Dr. Vali Kaleji, a Tehran-based expert on Central Asia and Caucasian Studies, postulates that the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that was held between 17 and 18 October 2023 in Beijing, can have important results on…
🌐 The world has entered a period of qualitative changes that will irreversibly reshape the structure of the international system and lead to a fairer balance in international affairs.
Over the past 100 years, humanity has learned several important lessons from conflicts and crises. One of them is a general understanding of the value of life on the planet and the notion that in the hands of humanity are forces of destruction that are catastrophic in scale. Their careless use can lead to the end of all life.
This common interest continues to unite leading countries in their desire to avoid global nuclear war and maintain the general contours of stability in international relations. However, this does not exclude regional and local military crises and conflicts.
The UN is a reflection of modern international relations and the main crises. The situation will not normalise until the new balance of power in the world becomes clear to everyone. The lack of a solid understanding of what such a balance should look like disorients both the apparatus of this organisation and many countries that are members of the UN General Assembly.
Once the new equilibrium is determined, the key states participating in this system will determine whether there is a need to reorganise the UN, reform it, writes Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/principles-of-polycentricity-and-security/
#ModernDiplomacy #UN #WorldOrder #multipolarity
🗣 🗣 🗣
Over the past 100 years, humanity has learned several important lessons from conflicts and crises. One of them is a general understanding of the value of life on the planet and the notion that in the hands of humanity are forces of destruction that are catastrophic in scale. Their careless use can lead to the end of all life.
This common interest continues to unite leading countries in their desire to avoid global nuclear war and maintain the general contours of stability in international relations. However, this does not exclude regional and local military crises and conflicts.
The UN is a reflection of modern international relations and the main crises. The situation will not normalise until the new balance of power in the world becomes clear to everyone. The lack of a solid understanding of what such a balance should look like disorients both the apparatus of this organisation and many countries that are members of the UN General Assembly.
Once the new equilibrium is determined, the key states participating in this system will determine whether there is a need to reorganise the UN, reform it, writes Andrey Sushentsov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/principles-of-polycentricity-and-security/
#ModernDiplomacy #UN #WorldOrder #multipolarity
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Valdai Club
Principles of Polycentricity and Security in a Changing World
The UN is a reflection of modern international relations and the main crises. The situation will not normalise until the new balance of power in the world becomes clear to everyone. The lack of a solid understanding of what such a balance should look like…