Representatives of Tajikistan are participating in the Third Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club that is being held in the Russian city of Tomsk from May 16-17.
According to the Club’s website, the theme of the conference “Russia and Central Asia: Aligning with a Changing World.” The event has reportedly brought together about 60 experts from Russia, Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Valdai Club’s website says the theme of the conference is dedicated to linking the interests of Russia and the countries of the region with a changing world, understanding where the priorities of Russia and Central Asia fit in, and where they diverge from the logic of global events.
The conference participants are reportedly discussing the following issues: the political dimension of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Russia and the Central Asian countries; the new world economy and interaction between Central Asia and Russia; greater Eurasian partnership amid modern conditions; and new and traditional security challenges for the countries of the region and Russia.
Tajikistan is represented at the conference by Ms. Guzel Maitdinova, Director of the Center for Geopolitical Studies at the Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University and Mr. Rustam Haidarov, Deputy Director of the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Haidarov noted that the United States started talking to the Central Asian countries in the language of threats.
According to him, the military conflict in Europe has turned into a proxy war of the collective West against Russia and “South Caucasus and Central Asia are now also in the sights of the collective West.”
Haidarov further stressed that “the countries of the region will develop relationships with those states that contribute to their prosperity.”
The Valdai Club notes that Russia and Central Asia today represent a common political, economic and defense space. The Ukrainian crisis and the abrupt end to Western cooperation with Russia reportedly became just one of the many factors compelling Russia to deepen its ties with Central Asia. In recent years, Russian foreign policy has consistently turned towards the East and neighboring states. Today, Russia is reportedly going through a process of reformatting its geo-economic ties, paying special attention to the Central Asian countries. According to Valdai Club experts, Central Asia’s nations have already demonstrated their readiness to serve as reliable partners for Russia as it faces a sharp aggravation of relations with the West and a general restructuring of the international order.
It is to be noted that conference is being held just a day before the first Central Asia-China summit that will take place in the Chinese city of Xi’an from May 18-19.
