On September 19, 2016, the Valdai Discussion Club will present the report titled "The Middle East in a Time of Troubles: Traumas of the Past and Challenges of the Future".

       Over the past five years the Middle East has suffered a serious transformation, which resulted in weakening and destruction of the statehood, bloody civil wars, aggravation and spreading of conflicts, humanitarian disasters, expansion of terrorism, which has turned into a global threat.

       Is the situation in the Middle East hopeless? Authors of the Valdai Club report write about the situation in the region, its institutions and the economy, terrorism, the balance of forces and the Russian interests. During the presentation they will additionally discuss issues of international, regional and inter-group alliances formations, caused by recent changes in the political and military situation in the region, future of Syria, the country's economic recovery chances, as well as prospects of the regional security system creation.

       Speakers:

       Vitaly Naumkin, Doctor of Science, History, Professor; Supervisor of the Team of Contributors; President of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS); Chair at the Department of Regional Problems of World Politics, Moscow State University; Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria; Editor-in-Chief of “Vostok (ORIENS)” Journal of the RAS

       Vasily Kuznetsov, PhD in History, Head of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies RAS; Head of the Centre for Political Systems and Cultures, Faculty of World Politics, Moscow State University; Programme Director of International Middle Eastern Studies Club

       Nikolay Soukhov, PhD in History, Researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS; Senior Researcher of the Institute of African Studies RAS; Associate Professor of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia; Vice-President of International Middle Eastern Studies Club

       Irina Zvyagelskaya, Doctor of Science, History; Senior Research Fellow of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies RAS; Professor at the Moscow Institute of International Relations (University) and at the Institute of African and Asian Studies (Moscow State University)

       Moderator:

       Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club Foundation, Editor-in-Chief, Russia in Global Affairs journal.

       Venue: Valdai Discussion Club Conference Hall (42 Bolshaya Tatarskaya St., Moscow, Russia), 11.00

       Working language - Russian.

       Information for media: to attend, please fill out the accreditation form or call +7 926 930 7763 (Maria Miklushevskaya, Public Relations Department).

       Information for participants: if you have any questions, please contact Ruben Prazyan, Event Management and Research Programs Department, by calling +7 903 730-3118.