The 12th Middle East Conference of the Valdai International Discussion Club, supported by the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, opens Tuesday in Moscow. The theme of this year's forum is "The New Middle East and the Security Crisis in Europe: Effects of Mutual Influence."
The annual event traditionally attracts guests from different countries of the region. This time the two-day conference will bring together about 50 leading experts on the region, current politicians and intellectuals from 18 countries, including Algeria, China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, UAE. It is also very important that the forum will bring together representatives of a wide variety of political views and positions, including those from states with ongoing tensions.
Special Representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mikhail Bogdanov and First Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia Pavel Sorokin will be guests of honor at the conference. High-ranking foreign guests at the forum will include Bouthaina Shaaban, Advisor to the President of Syria; Cagri Erhan, Rector, Altinbas University; and Amal Abu Zeid, Lebanese presidential adviser, and others.
A new Valdai report, "The Middle East and the Future of the Polycentric World", has been prepared specially for the conference, that examines the position of the region in the world and offers three possible scenarios for its development. In particular, experts did not rule out the possibility that confrontation between Russia and the West could be shifted to the Middle East, exacerbating the conflict potential there. According to experts, a second possible scenario is that the region could turn into a full-fledged "independent center." The opposite scenario is not discounted either - the transformation of the entire space "from the Ocean to the Gulf" into a huge "periphery of world politics."
However, there is one thing the analysts are convinced of: considering all the above-mentioned scenarios and the crisis in relations between Russia and the West, Moscow's policy in the Middle East should become "more adaptive and flexible."
Security crisis
In 2023, the Middle East Valdai is taking place amid an unprecedented security crisis in Europe. The collapse of the Western-centric world order has culminated in the Ukraine crisis, which has affected all international processes. The Middle East is no exception - a dynamically developing region that is gradually freeing itself from the influence of the West.
Chairman of the Board of the Valdai Club Foundation for Development and Support Andrei Bystritsky told TASS that the Middle East has entered a new path of its development. He explained that the European crisis has become a kind of catalyst for the long-standing processes of intensive inclusion of the Middle Eastern players in the creation of a new world order. "The global crisis has created a relatively new situation for the countries of the region, when on the one hand there are many risks, and on the other - new opportunities," he pointed out. The impact of the global crisis on the situation in the Middle East region and the role of countries in the emerging new world order will be the main topic of discussion.
The forum's program includes five sessions, three of which will be open to the media. Five main blocks of questions have been prepared for the participants: the prospects for a regional security system in the Middle East, the Ukrainian crisis and the Middle Eastern countries, the transformation of the transport and logistics system in Eurasia under Western restrictions, the impact of the international crisis on the hydrocarbon market, the formation of a polycentric system in the Middle East.
The Club notes that the Middle East conference is particularly relevant in view of the significant past and upcoming events in the region, which may become important for the development of its discussion. These include Benjamin Netanyahu-led coalition coming to power in Israel, drone attacks on Iranian military installations, the upcoming presidential election in Turkey, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Iraq, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry's visit to Moscow, and others.
Orientation to the East
The discussion will also focus on the prospects for relations between Russia and the Middle East in the new geopolitical conditions. The Valdai press service points out that the Middle East is one of the strategic constants on Russia's agenda, regardless of what happens on other fronts.
Russia cooperates with all countries in the region and acts as a "diplomatic peacemaker" and mediator in the resolution of numerous conflicts. In particular, Moscow plays a crucial role in resolving the Syrian crisis. With its help, the process of normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus started last year. It is also worth recalling that Russia was one of the first to send rescue teams to Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquake in early February.
Regarding the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which escalated again this year, Russia calls for the Middle East Quartet (Russia, US, UN and EU) to resume its work in order to avoid a new full-scale confrontation between the sides.
Moreover, Moscow remains the largest economic partner of the countries in the region. Although Western states put unprecedented pressure on Middle Eastern countries to refuse cooperation with Russia, the volume of trade and economic cooperation is steadily growing. New opportunities are opening up, such as the transition to trade in national currencies, the creation of a secure system for transmitting financial information between banks that bypasses SWIFT, and the creation of new transport corridors, which the conference participants will also have to discuss.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Valdai Club
Based on materials from TASS