Valdai Club

The Valdai Club's Third Russia-Iran Dialogue discussed not only politics and the actual state of bilateral relations but also the specifics of trade and economic cooperation. Both countries have a stake in climbing to a qualitatively new level of relations that implies joint modernization. This event is a major expert forum discussing the agenda of the trilateral Russia-Iran-Azerbaijan summit scheduled for mid-August in Sochi.

At this point, one of the main issues is the ability of Russia and Iran to use the capital of trust developed during the conflict and transform it into cooperation on Syria’s recovery. If the answer is “yes” it will be possible to talk about the strategic character of Russian-Iranian relations in Syria. If different approaches to military construction and an understanding of one’s role in the Syrian economy prevail, Russian-Iranian cooperation will be described as merely tactical and already something from the past.

When a delegation of 13 presidents from the leading Iranian universities with their deputies and directors of international affairs departments came to Moscow in November 2015, few people believed the trip would open a new chapter of scientific diplomacy in long-standing bilateral ties. The first meeting of the presidents of Iranian and Russian universities, held at the initiative of Moscow State University and the University of Tehran under the skillful and open-hearted guidance of their presidents Prof. Viktor Sadovnichyi and Prof. Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi, respectively, produced a signed memorandum whereby   all the participating universities agreed to continue the dialogue and create conditions for expanding cooperation. Also, two secretariats in Tehran and Moscow assumed responsibility for monitoring issues related to the promotion of a major bilateral partnership in science of these two countries.

Transport routes are like rivers, where water always fi nds a way to continue its fl ow. It is not a coincidence that transport routes are often referred to as arteries. But what comes first – a riverbed or the water, the fi rst representing the strategic will of states and the second the contents, i.e. goods resulting from the balance of interests between businesses and consumers? Global trade routes such as the North–South Project can be viewed as social and economic phenomena largely shaped by the political will of the countries that promote these trade corridors based on their understanding of common interests.