Any modern crisis in the Middle East can lead to a global crisis, so high-quality education of Orientalists is very important, Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the Russian Historical Society and Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told at the round table "State and prospects of development of Russian Oriental studies".
The event was dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the Society of Orientalists of Russia.
"The current situation in the world is quite complex and poorly predicted. And, as before, the keys to solving many international problems are in the East. Any escalation of conflicts in this region can significantly change the global balance of power and provoke a serious crisis", the head of the SVR said.
For Russia, according to Naryshkin, it is extremely important having professional diplomats and intelligence officers who will be able to "subtly dive into the specifics of foreign policy in the East", and therefore it is necessary to have a serious approach to training Russian Orientalists.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Mikhail Dzhaparidze / TASS