On May 16-17, Tomsk hosted the Third Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club. The conference topic is “Russia and Central Asia: Aligning With a Changing World”. The aim of the first session was to conduct an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of bilateral and multilateral dialogue as well as to discuss the extent to which political cooperation mechanisms are prepared to respond to constantly evolving challenges.
10:00 – 10:30 Opening of the conference
10:30 – 12:00 Political Dialogue and Cooperation: Bilateral and Multilateral Dimensions
Russia and the Central Asian states form a nodal part of the Eurasian security and development space. They are linked by intensive political relations and participation in common regional organizations and associations. In the context of complex international order transformations and the aggravation of contradictions between major powers, it is particularly important for the parties to constantly coordinate their approaches to the most important global and regional challenges, the potential for changes in the international environment and the likelihood of new conflicts affecting their fundamental interests. The aim of this session was to conduct an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of bilateral and multilateral dialogue as well as to discuss the extent to which political cooperation mechanisms are prepared to respond to constantly evolving challenges.