On August 1-4, 2019, Kazan is hosting an International Expert Dialogue "Russia — the Middle East". The event is organized by Evgeniy Primakov Center for International Cooperation together with Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. The project is implemented with the financial support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.
The project is held in conjunction with the 90th anniversary from the date of birth of the outstanding Russian statesman and diplomat Evgeniy Primakov.
On August 1-4, 2019, Kazan is hosting an International Expert Dialogue "Russia — the Middle East". The event is organized by Evgeniy Primakov Center for International Cooperation together with Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. The project is implemented with the financial support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.
The project is held in conjunction with the 90th anniversary from the date of birth of the outstanding Russian statesman and diplomat Evgeniy Primakov.
The conference will start with the discussion of general regional trends and building of a new regional security architecture followed by group discussions and thematic sessions on the problems and prospects for interaction between extra-regional actors, Russian and Turkish approaches to regional security issues, opportunities, and challenges to strategic partnership between Russia and Iran, participation of NGOs and military organizations in the Middle East processes, international crisis management formats, aspects of the post-war recovery of Syria and Iraq, etc.
The forum will gather leading Russian and foreign experts, representatives of scientific and analytical centers of the Middle East region, such as the Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies (IRAS, Iran), the Center for Strategic Research (SAM) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Middle East Technical University (Turkey), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia, American University of Beirut (Lebanon), Damascus Center for Research and Studies (Syria), Al-Rafidain Center For Dialogue (Iraq), Al-Quds University (Palestine), and other. The Russian side is represented by experts from RIAC, RAS Institute of Oriental Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics, MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, State Universities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pyatigorsk, and Nizhny Novgorod.
In addition, this project aims to involve young researchers in the process of sharing experience and opinions on the important issues of the Middle East region. Young experts from research centers of Russia, Greece, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey are invited to participate in the Dialogue.
Programme of the International Expert Dialogue "Russia - the Middle East"
Registration
Opening remarks
Roman Grishenin, Executive Director, Evgeniy Primakov Center for International Cooperation
Andrey Kortunov, Director General, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)
Farid Mukhamedshin, Head of Tatarstan's State Council, Russia
Opening session “New regional security architecture: the Old Middle East, the New West Asia or something different?”
Moderator: Ruslan Mamedov, Middle East Project Coordinator, Russian International Affairs Council, Russia
Vitaly Naumkin, President, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, RAS Full Member, RIAC Member
Ufuk Ulutaş, Chairman, Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (SAM)
Walid Salem, Director General, The Center for Democracy & Community Development (Palestine)
Davood Kiani, First Deputy Director, Iran Eurasia Studies Institute (IRAS)