Is there peace in the Middle East?The prospect of Western sanctions encourages Russia not only to look for import revenue substitution at home, but also to strengthen its relations with its Eastern partners. Experts of the East gathered today to discuss the prospects of economic and political contacts between the Russian Federation and three key Middle Eastern countries - Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Advisor to the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, Ambassador Andrey Baklanov, stressed that this issue is very relevant today, since with the decline of the U.S. as the major world power, the role of Middle Eastern countries will continue to grow. The president of the Institute of Religion and Politics, Alexander Ignatenko, talked about three possible conflicts in the Middle East: first of all Iran with its territorial claims to Bahrain and the province of Hasa in Saudi Arabia; Turkey, presenting its model of social and political development as an exemplary model for eastern countries and, thirdly, the state of Iraq and Sham.An expert on Turkey, Irina Svistunova, in turn, spoke about the economic successes of Ankara, which allow Turkey to play a leading role in the region. However, Turkey's position has weakened since the Syrian crisis.A senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies, an expert on Iran, Vladimir Sazhin, drew attention to the need to strengthen relations with Iran in the first place, because in the near future Iran might be used by the West as an instrument of pressure on Russia.
The prospect of Western sanctions encourages Russia not only to look for import revenue substitution at home, but also to strengthen its relations with its Eastern partners. Experts of the East gathered today to discuss the prospects of economic and political contacts between the Russian Federation and three key Middle Eastern countries - Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Advisor to the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, Ambassador Andrey Baklanov, stressed that this issue is very relevant today, since with the decline of the U.S. as the major world power, the role of Middle Eastern countries will continue to grow.
The president of the Institute of Religion and Politics, Alexander Ignatenko, talked about three possible conflicts in the Middle East: first of all Iran with its territorial claims to Bahrain and the province of Hasa in Saudi Arabia; Turkey, presenting its model of social and political development as an exemplary model for eastern countries and, thirdly, the state of Iraq and Sham.
An expert on Turkey, Irina Svistunova, in turn, spoke about the economic successes of Ankara, which allow Turkey to play a leading role in the region. However, Turkey's position has weakened since the Syrian crisis.
A senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies, an expert on Iran, Vladimir Sazhin, drew attention to the need to strengthen relations with Iran in the first place, because in the near future Iran might be used by the West as an instrument of pressure on Russia.
