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Valdai Experts to Define Russia’s National Idea at the Anniversary Summit

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13:54 19/08/2013
Meeting of Valdai Discussion Club

Russian experts and international experts on Russia will meet for the 10th conference of the Valdai Discussion Club on September 16-19. The 10th anniversary meeting, Russia’s Diversity for the Modern World, will take place where the club was established – near Lake Valdai in the Novgorod Region.

The participants will focus on analyzing the internal processes and external challenges to work out a vision of Russia in the future, one based on a solid foundation of political and cultural values and goals, shared by those in power and the public – a vision that would best fit into the modern world.

“Russia needs a national idea,” said Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, Sergei Karaganov, who usually moderates the Valdai Club meetings. “We need to overcome our confusion and look to the future. We need an identity that will take into account the changing world around us and at the same time be based on a realistic assessment of our strengths and weaknesses, and our origins.”

The participants will look for answers to questions such as, “21st century Russians: Who are we?” and “Where are we heading?” by analyzing the regional, religious, ethnic, values-related and socio-political differences that exist in Russia. They will have to decide whether Russians have more things in common or more things that divide them. The discussions will be attended by representatives of various Russian regions, religions, political parties and associations.

“The 10th anniversary meeting will not only be the biggest in terms of numbers, but will also bring together the most impressive array of participants,” said Svetlana Mironyuk, Editor-in-Chief of RIA Novosti, a co-founder of the club. “We are expecting over 200 Russian and foreign political, public and clerical leaders, prominent thinkers and philosophers, and cultural figures.”

The confirmed participants include former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, former Italian Prime Minister and European Commission President Romano Prodi, Austrian Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, former Turkish and Polish heads of governments – Mesut Yılmaz and Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, former Arab League General Secretary Amr Moussa, and film directors Nikita Mikhalkov and Krzysztof Zanussi.

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