MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club on Thursday. The session’s topic will be A Post-Hegemonic World: Justice and Security For Everyone.
Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Putin would deliver a extensive report, which will be followed by a discussion. The session will be moderated by Valdai scientific director Fyodor Lukyanov.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, the event "is promising to be very and very important." However, he refused to say which topics the president will touch upon.
Since the establishment of the Valdai Club in 2004, Putin has been traditionally meeting with its participants. The first conference was held in Veliky Novgorod near Lake Valdai, which gave its name to it. The club has been holding its sessions in Sochi since 2014, but for 2020, when it was held in Moscow due to the pandemic restrictions and the president addressed it online. This year’s conference will also be held in Moscow.
Putin’s Valdai speech last year
Putin has repeatedly said that he reckons with the club’s opinion while taking decisions on the country’s development. He always speaks with the club’s members to discuss current issues of world politics and economy, as well as the most acute matters. Many important statements have been made by the president at the Valdai club session.
Thus, Putin’s speech at the last year’s session was dedicated to the relations between Russia and the United States, sanctions, Ukraine, possible recognition of the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia). Commenting on the gas crisis in Europe, Putin noted that the situation stemmed from the European Commission’s economic policy and Russia had nothing to do with that.
Special focus was made on the domestic agenda, including vaccination against the coronavirus infection and the law on foreign agents. He also said that the major result of his many-year work was the reduction of poverty.
About this year’s meeting
The Valdai Club has always been trying to look into the fundamental reasons of global developments. Currently, it focuses on global political and economic processes.
Now that the global information space has turned into an arena of confrontation, the role of expert discussions is as important as never before, the Kremlin press service noted. This year, the forum organizers are ready to explain to foreign participants the causes and consequences of what is currently happening in the Russian-Ukrainian relations.
Over the period of its existence, the Valdai club has won a reputation of an authoritative international venue for cooperation between leading global experts and Russian scientists, politicians and government officials. More than 1,000 delegates from more than 80 countries have taken part in the club discussions over the period of its existence.