On November 13, a memorandum of cooperation between the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Emirates Policy Center was signed on the margins of the 9th Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate (ADSD). Andrey Bystritskiy, the Valdai Club Chairman, represented the Valdai Discussion Club and Ebtesam Al Ketbi, President of the Emirates Policy Center, represented the EPC.
The memorandum aims at creating conditions for building efficient and trust-based dialogue between academic and expert communities as well as civic organisations of Russia, the UAE, and other Gulf states. The Valdai Club and EPC are planning to develop cooperation in the areas of national, regional and global affairs by holding joint events, exchange of visits of members of the intellectual elites, launching bilateral projects, preparation and exchange of research papers.