On June 17, 2020, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) held an online roundtable discussion on the COVID-19 epidemic and its implications for conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.
Opening speeches were made by Igor Ivanov, President of Russian International Affairs Council, and Vitaly Naumkin, RIAC Member, RAS Full Member, Academic Director, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The main discussion points included the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socio-economic and political situation in the Middle East and North Africa. The members and experts of the Council discussed the foreign policy priorities of the regional powers and regional competition, scenarios for the development of regional conflicts (around Syria, Libya, Yemen), the role of external forces (the USA and the EU), and the prospects for Russia’s presence in the region.
On June 17, 2020, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) held an online roundtable discussion on the COVID-19 epidemic and its implications for conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.
Opening speeches were made by Igor Ivanov, President of Russian International Affairs Council, and Vitaly Naumkin, RIAC Member, RAS Full Member, Academic Director, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The main discussion points included the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socio-economic and political situation in the Middle East and North Africa. The members and experts of the Council discussed the foreign policy priorities of the regional powers and regional competition, scenarios for the development of regional conflicts (around Syria, Libya, Yemen), the role of external forces (the USA and the EU), and the prospects for Russia’s presence in the region.
Presentations and comments were made by Alexander Aksenyonok, RIAC Vice-President, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia; Vladimir Chizhov, Permanent Representative of Russia to the European Union, RIAC Member; Sergey Karaganov, RIAC Member, Dean of the Department of World Economics and World Politics, Higher School of Economics; Vasily Kuznetsov, Director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, RIAC Member; Maxim Suchkov, RIAC Expert, Senior Fellow, Department of Applied Analysis of International Problems at MGIMO MFA; Vladimir Bartenev, Director, Center for Security and Development Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Associate Professor, Chair of International Organizations and World Political Processes at the School of World Politics, MSU, RIAC expert; and Professor Alexander Stoppe, MGIMO MFA, Head of the Analytical Department of the Standing Committee of the Union State.
The discussion was moderated by Ivan Timofeev, RIAC Director of Programs. Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General, summarized the results of the round table and informed the members of the Council about RIAC research activity on the Middle East project.
