Roundtable: “2022 Outcomes: Turkey, Iran, Central Asian Countries: Growing Potential for Influence”

On December 21, 2022, the School of Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University held a roundtable discussion on “2022 Outcomes: Turkey, Iran, Central Asian Countries: Growing Potential of Influence”.

The round table was moderated by Academician Dr. V.V. Naumkin, Head of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS Joint Department, HSE University, Academic Supervisor, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The topic of the round table aroused great interest in the expert community, which was reflected in the participation of many respected Russian and foreign experts in the event.

The meeting was addressed by: Dr. A.B. Likhacheva, Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University; Dr. O.V. Volosyuk, Head of the School of Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University; Dr. A.G. Baklanov, Professor - Head of the Middle East and North Africa Studies Section, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University; Dr. G. M. Maitdinova, Professor, Department of Regional Studies and Foreign Policy, Director of the Centre for Geopolitical Studies of the Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University, Deputy Chairman of the Central Asian Expert Council “Eurasian Development”, Dr. R. D. Khaidarov, Professor, Deputy Director of the A. Bakhovaddinov Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, A. I. Bykov, Deputy Head of the International Relations Department of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, researcher at the International Laboratory for World Order and New Regionalism Studies, HSE University, Dr. I. A. Agakishiev, President of the “Consulting. Analytics. PR”, Dr. R. Oshakbayev, Director of the Centre for Applied Research, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan, A.V. Chuprygin, Senior Lecturer of the School of Asian Studies, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University, Dr, I. Durre Turkish and Kurdish political scientist, journalist, Associate Professor of Foreign Regional Studies Department, Moscow State Linguistic University, Dr. A.G. Gadzhiev, Director General of the Centre for Modern Turkey Studies, Moscow; Dr. V.I. Sazhin, Professor, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences; E.E. Imamkulieva, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies, Faculty of World Economy and World Politics, National Research University Higher School of Economics; G.V. Lukyanov, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS Joint Department, HSE University, Dr. A.A. Kuznetsov, Visiting Lecturer at the School of Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University, Dr. R.B. Karamurzov, Professor at the Department of Economics and Economic Geography of Asia and Africa, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Professor at the School of Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University.

The panelists assessed the most important developments and phenomena in the closely interconnected regions of the Middle East, Central Asia, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Mediterranean and North Africa. Particular attention was paid to countries whose role is growing in 2022, including in relation to new integration initiatives (the reformatting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia and the pan-Asian international organization, the intention of some countries to join the SCO and BRICS) and debates on shaping a new international political, financial, and economic order.

Such issues were considered as determining the common vector of developments in these regions and the place of this geostrategic space in the new global balance of power. There was a lively discussion of Turkey's role in regional and global affairs and the possibility of aligning Erdogan's plans with the interests of other regional and international actors, including the Russian Federation. Various aspects of the situation in and around Iran were also discussed. With the participation of scholars from Central Asian countries, they discussed the prospects for further evolution of integration processes in Central Asia, opportunities for consolidation and overcoming contradictions between the countries of the region, and the influence of extra-regional actors on these processes.

At the suggestion of Prof. A.G. Baklanov, the meeting participants called for this format of inter-regional discussion to become a permanent workshop, possibly with the formation of smaller sub-groups to discuss certain key aspects of such issues in the future.

Support to the project from the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at HSE University is gratefully acknowledged.