GENERAL INFORMATION 4 RIAC PROGRAM ACTIVITIES 16 RIAC … · 2019. 2. 11. · 9 ANNUAL REPORT 2018 8 R Interna A C RIAC MEMBERS 01 Eugene Abov Deputy Director General of Federal State

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Russian International Affairs Council

CONTENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

RIAC PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

RIAC IN THE MEDIA

RIAC WEBSITE

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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Aleksandr AksenenokAmbassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of the Russian

Federation, Vice-President of the


Sergey LavrovMinister of Foreign Affairs of the

Russian Federation, Chairman of

Board of Trustees of RIAC

Igor IvanovPresident of the Russian

International Affairs Council

Andrey KortunovDirector General of the Russian


Evgeny BuzhinskyChairman of PIR Center, Lieutenant-

General (retired), Vice-President

of the Russian International Affairs

Council

Aleksandr DzasokhovDeputy Chairman, Commission of

the Russian Federation for UNESCO,

Vice-President of the Russian


Gleb IvashentsovAmbassador Extraordinary and


Federation, Vice-President of

the Russian International Affairs

Council

01 The non-profit partnership Russian International Affairs Council (NP RIAC) is a Russian membership-based non-profit organization. The partnership was established by the resolution of its founders pursuant to Decree No. 59-rp of the President of the Russian Federation “On the Establishment of the Non-Profit Partnership Russian International Affairs Council” dated February 2, 2010.

The General Meeting of RIAC members is the supreme governing body of the Partnership. The key function of the General Meeting is to ensure compliance with the goals of the Partnership. The General Meeting includes 160 members of the Council.

The RIAC Board of Trustees is a supervisory body of the Partnership that monitors the activities of the Partnership and their compliance with the statutory goals.

The Presidium of the Partnership is a permanent collegial governing body of the Partnership that consists of not less than five and no more than fifteen members, including the President and the Director General of the Partnership, who have a vote in the decision-making process. The President of the Partnership chairs the work of the Presidium. The members of the Presidium have a renewable four-year term of office.

The main task of the RIAC Scientific Council is to formulate sound recommendations for strategic decisions in RIAC expert, research, and publishing activities.

The Vice-Presidency was introduced to achieve the goals of the Partnership in cooperation withgovernment bodies and local authorities of the Russian Federation and foreign states,international organizations, and Russian and foreign legal entities. The candidate for Vice-President is approved by the RIAC Presidium for a one-year term.

RIAC Corporate Members According to the Charter, legal citizens of the Russian Federation or entities established in accordance with Russian legislation that support the Council’s aims may become its members. The Council now has 11 Corporate Members and 11 Universities.

THE RIAC MISSION IS TO FACILITATE RUSSIA’S PROSPERITY THROUGH INTEGRATION INTO THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY.

RIAC SERVES AS A LINK BETWEEN THE STATE, THE EXPERT COMMUNITY, BUSINESS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the

Russian Federation

mid.ru

Ministry of Education and Science

of the Russian Federation

mon.gov.ru

Russian Academy of Sciences

ras.ruRussian Union of Industrialists and

Entrepreneurs

rspp.ru

Interfax International Information

Group

interfax.ru

FOUNDERS

ABOUT THE COUNCIL

RIAC MANAGEMENT

RIAC MISSION

Mikhail MargelovVice President of PJSC Transneft,

Vice-President of the Russian


Vyacheslav TrubnikovMember of the Board of Directors

of the Institute of World Economy

and International Relations of

the Russian Academy of Sciences

(IMEMO RAS), Army General,

Ambassador Extraordinary and


Federation, Vice-President of the


ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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RIAC MEMBERS

01 | ABOUT RIAC

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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RIAC MEMBERS

01 Eugene AbovDeputy Director General of Federal State Budgetary Institution Rossiyskaya Gazeta

02 Anatoly AdamishinHonorary President of the Non-Governmental Organization “Association of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation,” Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

03 Dmitry AfanasievChairman of the Partners Committee of the Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners Law Firm

04 Sergey AfontsevCorresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of Department at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS)

05 Aleksandr AksenenokAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

06 Vagit AlekperovPresident of PJSC “LUKOIL”

07 Anatoly AleksandrovRector of Bauman Moscow State Technical University

08 Olga AlekseevaEditor-in-Chief of Gazeta.ru

09 Anatoly AntonovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United States of America

10 Aleksey ArbatovHead of the Center for International Security at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

11 Aleksandr Avdeev Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Holy See and Representative of the Russian Federation to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

12 Pyotr AvenChairman of the Board of Directors of ABH Holdings S.A., Member of the Board of Directors of Alfa-Bank (Russia)

13 Vladimir BaranovskyHead of Research, Center for Situational Analysis at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

14 Yury BaturinChief Research Fellow at the Russian Academy of Sciences Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

15 Aleksandr BelonogovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

16 Aleksandr BerdnikovFirst Deputy Director General of PJSC ROSSETI (2013–2018)

17 Aleksandr BessmertnykhPresident of the International Foreign Policy Association, Chairman of the Global Council of Former Ministers of Foreign Affairs, President of the Alumni Association of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

18 Viktor BlazheyevRector of Kutafin Moscow State Law University

19 Mikhail BogdanovDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa

20 Nikolay BordyuzhaAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

21 Sergey BorisovChairman of the Board of Trustees of All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium Business OPORA RUSSIA, Vice President for Small Business Development at Sberbank of Russia

22 Sergey BrilevDeputy Director of the Rossiya TV Channel, Manager and Presenter of News on Saturday with Sergey Brilev

23 Evgeny BuzhinskyChairman of PIR Center, Lieutenant-General (retired)

24 Artur ChilingarovState Duma Deputy, President of the “Association of Polar Explorers” Interregional Public Organization

25 Vladimir ChizhovPermanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the European Union

26 Aleksandr ChubaryanAcademic Director of the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

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27 Evgeny ChuprunovRector of the Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod

28 Vladimir ChkhikvadzeAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

29 Vladimir DavydovDirector of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Latin American Studies

30 Oleg DemchenkoFirst Vice-President and Chief Designer of PJSC Irkut Corporation, Director General and Designer General of the OJSC A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau

31 Andrey DenisovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the People’s Republic of China

32 Vladimir DmitryevVice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, Co-Chair of the Russian–Italian Civil Society Dialogue Forum

33 Leonid DrachevskyExecutive Director of the Aleksandr Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

34 Sergey DubininMember of the Supervisory Council, Chairman of the Remuneration and HR Committee at PJSC VTB Bank

35 Aleksandr DynkinPresident of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

36 Aleksandr DzasokhovDeputy Chairman, Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO

37 Aleksey EgorovSenior Vice-President, Communications and Government Relations PAO Severstal

38 Mikhail FedotovAdvisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights

39 Vladimir FilippovRector of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

40 Vladislav FroninEditor-in-Chief of Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily

41 Andrey FursenkoAide to the President of the Russian Federation

42 Eduard GalazhinskyRector of Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution for Higher Education National Research Tomsk State University

43 Filaret GalchevChairman of the Board of Directors of Eurocement Group Holdings

44 Valery GarbuzovDirector of the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

45 Evgeny GavrilenkovPartner at Matrix Capital, Professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics

46 Herman GrefChief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank of Russia

47 Vladimir GrigoryevDeputy Director of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media

48 Ruslan GrinbergAcademic Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Economics, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

49 Aleksey GromykoDirector of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

50 Aleksandr GrushkoDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

51 Mikhail GusmanFirst Deputy Director General TASS Information Agency

52 Vitaly IgnatenkoPresident of World Russian Press Foundation (WARP Foundation)

53 Vladislav InozemtsevFounder and Director of the Center for Post-Industrial Society Studies

54 Sergey IvanetsRector of the Far Eastern Federal University (2012–2016)

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55 Igor IvanovPresident of the Russian International Affairs Council, Professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

56 Gleb IvashentsovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

57 Pavel KadochnikovPresident of the Centre for Strategic Research Foundation

58 Sergey KaraganovDean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy

59 Grigory KarasinState Secretary, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

60 Ulvi KasimovSole founder of UKCI Russia

61 Sergey KatyrinChairman of the Management Board, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

62 Vladimir KazimirovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

63 Irina KhaleevaDoctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Member of the Russian Academy of Education

64 Anton KhlopkovDirector of Center for Energy and Security Studies, Editor-in-Chief of Yaderny Club magazine, Member of Scientific Council of the Security Council of the Russian Federation

65 Aleksandr KhlunovDirector General of the Russian Science Foundation

66 Viktor KhristenkoEAEU Business Council President

67 Sergey KislyakMember of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

68 Andrey KlemeshevRector of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University

69 Andrey KlepachDeputy Chairman of the Management Board of Vnesheconombank

70 Andrey KokoshinDean of the Faculty of World Politics of Lomonosov Moscow State University

71 Viktor KoksharovRector of the Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin

72 Andrey KolosovskyAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

73 Mikhail KomissarChairman of the Board and CEO of Interfax Information Services Group

74 Mikhail KonarovskyAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

75 Valentin KorabelnikovArmy General

76 Andrey KortunovDirector General of the Russian International Affairs Council

77 Konstantin KosachevChairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

78 Mikhail KovalchukPresident of National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

79 Eugeny KozhokinVice-Rector for Research at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

80 Nikolay KropachevRector of Saint Petersburg State University

81 Elena KudryashovaRector of Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University

82 Anatoly KulikovArmy General

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RIAC MEMBERS83 Yaroslav Kuzminov

Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics

84 Aleksey KuzmichevMember of the Supervisory Board of the Alfa Group Consortium

85 Sergey LavrovMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Chairman of RIAC Board of Trustees

86 Sergey LebedevChairman of the Executive Committee — Executive Chairman of the CIS, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

87 Dmitry LivanovSpecial Presidential Representative for Trade and Economic Relations with Ukraine (2016–2018)

88 Vladimir LukinDeputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, President of the Russian Paralympic Committee

89 Fyodor LukyanovEditor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy

90 Sergey LuzyaninDirector of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

91 Ziyavudin Magomedov Chairman of the Board of Directors of Summa Group

92 Artem MalginVice-Rector for General Affairs at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

93 Georgy MamedovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

94 Mikhail MargelovVice President of PJSC Transneft

95 Vladimir MauRector of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

96 Andrey MelvilleDean of Social Sciences Faculty at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Professor

97 Andrey MeshkovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to France and the Principality of Monaco

98 Dmitry MezentsevChairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russia–China Friendship Association, Deputy Chairman of the Center for Strategic Research Foundation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

99 Svetlana MironyukHead of Marketing and Business Development at PricewaterhouseCoopers

100 Evgenia MikhailovaRector of North-Eastern Federal University

101 Andrey MolchanovChairman of the Board of Directors of PJSC LSR Group

102 Igor MorgulovDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

103 Igor MorozovSenator, Member of the Federation Council Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

104 Farit MukhametshinAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation, Member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs

105 Vitaly NaumkinPresident of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

106 Aleksandr NekipelovDirector of the Moscow School of Economics at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

107 Vyacheslav NikonovChairman of the State Duma Committee on Education, Chairman of the Management Board of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, Dean of the Faculty of Public Administration at Lomonosov Moscow State University

108 Armen OganesyanEditor-in-Chief of International Affairs Magazine

109 Yury OsipovFull Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

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110 Aleksey OstrovskyGovernor of the Smolensk Region

111 Aleksandr PanovHead of Department of Diplomacy at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Chief Research Fellow of the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

112 Dmitry PeskovDeputy Chief of the Presidential Executive Office, Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation

113 Efim PivovarPresident of Russian State University for the Humanities, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

114 Yury PivovarovAcademic Director of the Institute of Scientific Information in Humanities of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

115 Sergey PlekhanovChairman of the Committee for International Ties of the Moscow Branch of the Russian Writers’ Union

116 Ivan PolyakovDirector General of Interstate Corporation for Development

117 Veniamin PopovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation, Director of the Center for Partnership of Civilizations at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

118 Sergey PrikhodkoFirst Deputy Head of Russian Federation Government Staff

119 Ruslan PukhovDirector of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies

120 Aleksey PushkovMember of the Federation Council Committee on Defence and Security of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

121 Grigory RapotaState Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus

122 Sergey RazovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino

123 Sergey RogovAcademic Director of the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

124 Sergey RyabkovDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

125 Viktor SadovnichyRector of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

126 Sergey SanakoevPresident of the Asia–Pacific Research Center

127 Andrey SakharovCounsellor at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

128 Andrey SharonovPresident of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO

129 Yuri ShafranikFounder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of International Group Soyuzneftegaz

130 Mikhail ShvydkoySpecial Presidential Representative of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, Ambassador-at-Large

131 Aleksandr ShokhinPresident of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

132 Dmitry ShugaevDirector of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation

133 Margarita SimonyanEditor-in-Chief of the Russia Today TV channel, Editor-in-Chief of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency

134 Nikolay SkvortsovDean of the Faculty of Sociology at St. Petersburg State University, Professor

135 Leonid SlutskyChairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs

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S

RIAC MEMBERS136 Valentin Sobolev

Colonel General

137 Nikolay SpasskyDeputy Director General and Director of the International Relations Department of Rosatom State Corporation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

138 Pyotr StegniyAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

139 Sergey StepashinChairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, President of the Russian Association for International Cooperation

140 Valentina TereshkovaState Duma Deputy of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on Federal System and Issues of Local Self-Government, cosmonaut

141 Ivan TimofeevDirector of Programs at the Russian International Affairs Council

142 Valery TishkovAcademic Director at the Miklukho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences

143 Boris TitovPresidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights

144 Vladimir TitovFirst Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

145 Anatoly TorkunovRector of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

146 Aleksandr TorshinDeputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

147 Dmitry TreninDirector of the Carnegie Moscow Center

148 Vyacheslav TrubnikovMember of the Board of Directors of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS),

Army General, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

149 Yury UshakovAide to the President of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

150 Evgeny VaganovAcademic Director of Siberian Federal University, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

151 Aleksey VasilyevHonorary President of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

152 Evgeny VinokurovProfessor at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Center for Integration Studies at the Eurasian Development Bank

153 Fyodor VoytolovskyProfessor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ph.D. (Politics), Director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS)

154 David YakobashviliPresident of the Russian-American Council for Business Cooperation

155 Igor YurgensPresident of the All-Russian Insurance Association, Member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

156 Andrey ZagorskyDirector of the Department for Disarmament and Conflict Resolution of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS)

157 Pavel ZenkovichState Secretary — Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

158 Vitaly ZhurkinDirector Emeritus of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

159 Yury ZubakovAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation

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As of November 1, 2018.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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RIAC CORPORATE MEMBERS

ALFA GROUP CONSORTIUM

www.alfagroup.ru

EUROCEMENT Group

www.eurocement.ru

PJSC LUKOIL

www.lukoil.ru

Russian Technologies State

Corporation

www.rostec.ru

PАО Severstal

www.severstal.ru

Federal Grid Company

of Unified Energy System

www.fsk-ees.ru

A.S. Popov Omsk Production

Association

www.relero.ru

UKCI Russia

PJSC Irkut Corporation

www.irkut.com

PJSC Transneft

www.transneft.ru

PJSC ROSSETI

www.rosseti.ru

CORPORATIONS

Imanuel Kant Baltic Federal

University

www.kantiana.ru

Northern (Arctic) Federal University

www.narfu.ru

Ural Federal University named

after the First President of Russia

B. N. Yeltsin

www.urfu.ru

Russian State University for the

Humanities

www.rggu.com

Moscow State University of

International Relations (MGIMO)

under the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs of the Russian Federation

www.mgimo.ru

Saint Petersburg State University

www.spbu.ru

Siberian Federal University

www.sfu-kras.ru

Moscow State Linguistic University

www.linguanet.ru

Lobachevsky State University of

Nizhny Novgorod

www.unn.ru

North-Eastern Federal University

in Yakutsk

www.s-vfu.ru

Tomsk State University

www.tsu.ru

UNIVERSITIES

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

2 | RIAC ACTIVITIES

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Over the seven years of its work, RIAC has built up a significant portfolio of bilateral, regional, functional, educational and information projects that cover the majority of the foreign policy issues facing Russia.

RIAC held over 150 events in 2018, with the participation of experts from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. Among the largest and most significant expert meetings organized by the Council this year were the fourth international conference “Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era”; the fourth international conference “Migration and International Law”; the third international conference “Russia and Turkey: Strategic Directions of Multidimensional Partnership”; the conference “International and Social Consequences of Using Artificial Intelligence Technologies”; the second international conference on Russia–India relations; and seminars on EU–Russia and the prospects for the post-conflict reconstruction of the Middle East.

RIAC’s project activities in 2018 resulted in the publication of 38 reports, papers, policy briefs and other printed materials on a wide range of international issues, including the anthology “The Sanctions Policy: Goals, Strategies, Instruments.”

One of the traditional strengths of RIAC’s publishing program is the publication of joint reports and policy briefs with our foreign partners. The Council produced eight such documents in 2018. Partner organizations include Fudan University (China), the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the

Republic of Turkey, the European Union Delegation of the Russian Federation, the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI, United Kingdom), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Gateway House Indian Council on Global Relations and the International Centre on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN, Georgia).

The RIAC website is demonstrating significant growth. Thanks to the updated design and the variety of ways in which the site can be accessed, traffic increased by 50 per cent compared to 2017, with more than 3 million people visiting the site over the course of the year. Foreign internet users make up over 40 per cent of the total number of visitors to the site. The number of younger people interested in reading RIAC’s expert publications has also increased, with 50 per cent of visitors to the site aged 30 or under.

RIAC pays considerable attention to the production of video content. Almost all public events organized by the Council are broadcast online on the RIAC website. These broadcasts have become the standard method of providing informational support to RIAC’s activities.

In 2018, RIAC continued its awareness building activities on various issues in international relations. For the second year in a row, RIAC organized Urbi et Orbi city breakfasts in conjunction with the Dostoevsky Library. These are expert meetings aimed at fostering a broad public discussion of pressing issues in Russian foreign policy and global development. In addition to this, the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia hosted monthly lectures on international issues organized by RIAC. The RIAC website

The program activities of the non-profit partnership Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) are aimed at supporting practical research in the area of world politics and international relations in order to implement Russia's foreign policy interests and form mechanisms for their promotion.

RIAC PROGRAM ACTIVITIES02

regularly broadcasts webinars – open seminars with the participation of international relations experts.

The Nationwide Contest for Young Foreign Affairs Journalists reached new heights this year, with the sixth edition of the competition attracting a record number of entrants. A total of 228 papers were received, 169 of which were accepted for consideration. The growing popularity of the contest demonstrates that, in the seven years since it was established, it has become one of the leading tools for discovering new talent in the field of international journalism.

In 2018, RIAC opened cooperation with the School of Future International Relations Experts at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Together, they have launched a joint educational program for students of the 10th and 11th grades. The students taking part in the program attend lectures on the specifics of being a journalist from past winners of the Contest for Young Foreign Affairs Journalists and representatives of leading Russian publishers.

RIAC also continued its educational work this year. The Digital Internationalization of Universities program resulted in the creation of a rating system for the websites and social media accounts of Russian universities. RIAC has also developed a program to promote the export of Russian educational services abroad.

In October 2018, the International School of Eurasian Integration held the “Eurasian Economic Union: Shaping the Outline of the Future” seminar in Moscow. The school was organized by the Russian International Affairs Council, the Aleksandr Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). The school’s jam-packed educational program included meetings with departments and organizations involved in the process of Eurasian economic integration.

In 2018, a total of 67 students from universities and higher education institutions in Russia and other countries (the United States and Germany) interned at the Russian International Affairs Council with RIAC program managers and coordinators acting as mentors for the interns. It is worth noting that the Russian interns came from universities across the country. As part of the program, students have the opportunity to get involved in the Council’s project activities in areas that are of interest to them.

Российский совет по международным

делам

REGIONAL AND BILATERAL PROJECTS

2 | RIAC ACTIVITIES

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Given the complicated international situation, RIAC actively developed its work on Europe and North America in 2018. The Council’s work in this area included an extensive agenda of bilateral and multilateral events. In particular, RIAC worked actively with its European partners.

EURO ATLANTIC

Over the course of the year, RIAC organized a number of joint events with the Delegation of the European Union to Russia. The seminars, held in Moscow, Rome and Vienna, were dedicated to discussions on the possibility of economic cooperation between Russia and the European Union, Russia’s economic policy under the sanctions, and areas where the interests of Russia and the European Union converge and diverge.

On September 14, the Russian International Affairs Council held a round table “Russia–EU Relations and Policy in Central Asia,” which was attended by Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia of the European External Action Service Thomas Mayr-Harting and Head of the Central Asia Department of the European External Action Service Boris Yaroshevich. RIAC members and experts, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also attended the event.

Foundation (Koerber Stiftung, Germany). The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Russian and German think tanks, government agencies and non-governmental organizations.

RIAC’s work on the United States track once again involved co-organizing the annual U.S.–Russia Fort Ross Dialogue 2018 Program, which took place in Veliky Novgorod on May 21–22. The event involved RIAC members and experts, as well as representatives of leading U.S. think tanks – the EastWest Institute (EWI), the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and RAND Corporation.

In June, the Russian International Affairs Council held a seminar on “Russia–U.S. Relations in the Nuclear Sphere: Pathways to Cooperation,” which was attended by Ernest J. Moniz, Co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and former United States Secretary of Energy (2013–2017).

The meeting was attended by RIAC management and members, experts from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the Kurchatov Institute and Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The event focused on discussing nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, the consequences of the withdrawal of the United States from the Iranian nuclear deal, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the possibility of Russia and the United States developing scientific and technical cooperation in nuclear energy.

In October, RIAC held a joint seminar on Russia–U.S. relations with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The event took place in Washington and continued cooperation between the two organizations. Throughout the year, RIAC representatives actively and openly commented on the Russia–U.S. agenda. Two thematic round tables were held at the premises of the International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya. In July, RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov and RIAC Director of Programs Ivan Timofeev attended a city breakfast “The World After the Putin–Trump Summit”.

1. Report No. 38 / 2018. Defining Dialogue: How to Manage Russia–UK Security Relations. Part 2

2. Selective Engagement between the EU and Russia / EUREN Interim Report – October 2018

3. Looking beyond sanctions? Prospects for economic interaction between the EU and Russia / EUREN Chronicles No. 5 – February 2018

4. Towards a NATO–Russia Basic Understanding / Task Force on Cooperation in Greater Europe Position Paper, 2018

• Russia and the Euro-Atlantic Community • Russia and the European Union: Partnership

Opportunities and Building of a Think Tank Network

• The Future of Greater Europe• Russia and the United States: Problems in

Bilateral Relations, Regional and Global Challenges

• German-Russian International Affairs Dialogue (GRID)

• A New Agenda for Russia–UK Relations

PUBLICATIONS

PROJECTS

In 2018, RIAC continued the tradition of organizing “ambassadors' seminars” with representatives of the countries chairing the Council of the European Union. Together with the Embassy of Austria, RIAC held a meeting between the ambassadors of EU countries and Russian diplomats and experts to discuss Russia–Austria and Russia–EU relations.

The Council held over a dozen meetings with EU representatives in various formats, both in Moscow and in a number of European capitals – namely, Paris, Berlin and Warsaw. RIAC worked with the Delegation of the European Union to Russia to organize seminars on bilateral relations and trilateral relations between Russia, the European Union and the United States and between Russia, the European Union and China.

On the UK track, RIAC developed cooperation with the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI). The joint work of the two think tanks resulted in the second part of the report “Defining Dialogue: How to Manage Russia–UK Security Relations. Part 2” (the first part was published in 2017). The publication was presented at the RUSI office in London and at an International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya round table in Moscow.

On April 20–21, Moscow hosted the 7th final German–Russian International Dialogue (GRID) meeting for the Russian–German working group as part of the joint project between the Russian International Affairs Council and the Koerber

Key Publications on the RIAC Website

1. Igor Ivanov, Wolfgang Ischinger, Sam Nunn, Sam Nunn. “How to Reduce Nuclear Risks in Helsinki”

2. Igor Ivanov. “Russia’s Post-Election Foreign Policy: New Challenges, New Horizons”

3. Andrey Kortunov, Malcolm Chalmers. “We Will Need to Return to Dialogue”

4. Andrey Kortunov. “Will Russia Return to Europe? ”5. Dmitry Danilov. “NATO Summit in Brussels: Were

the Contradictions Resolved?”

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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The traditionally rich Middle East agenda developed dynamically throughout 2018. RIAC maintained a productive dialogue with experts and politicians from Middle Eastern states, the European Union, the United States, China, and other countries. The Council paid particular attention to issues of security and developing economic ties with Middle Eastern countries.

THE MIDDLE EAST

In March, RIAC representatives met with the delegation of the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was in Russia on a working trip. The event was attended by the RIAC management, researchers from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a representative from Lomonosov Moscow State University. The Qatari delegation included the Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, representatives from Qatar University, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Qatar Embassy in Moscow.

RIAC actively works with international organizations as part of its Middle Eastern track. For example, on February 12, the Council took part

in a seminar in Beirut to discuss options for the future constitutional development of Syria and how to go about holding elections in the country. The event was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA), whose research projects are aimed at post-conflict reconciliation and reconstruction in Syria.

In April, RIAC held meeting between a group of Russian experts and representatives of Human Rights Watch (HRW) devoted to the conditions and principles of the post-conflict reconstruction of Syria. The event was opened by RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov and HRW Russia Program Director Tatiana Lokshina.

At the meeting, the participants discussed the state of the Syrian crisis and issues relating to the post-conflict reconstruction of the Syrian economy, the sanctions, the role of regional actors, U.S. strategies in the region, relations between the Arab tribes and Kurds in the Northeast Syria, the activities of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in the Syrian Arab Republic, and possible development scenarios and their prospects for success.

RIAC actively developed the dialogue on the Middle East and Iran with its partners from the European Union. On March 23, RIAC hosted a seminar on the prospects for cooperation between Russia and France in the Middle East. The meeting was opened by RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov and Special Advisor at the Institut Montaigne and former Ambassador of France in Syria Michel Duclos. The event focused on resolution of the Syrian crisis and the situation in the Middle East. The sides touched upon issues relating to the participation of France and Russia in the post-conflict reconstruction of the country and the regional security system.

The second RIAC–Institut Montaigne seminar was held in Paris on November 30. The event consisted of two sessions. The first session was dedicated to the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear program and the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Middle East processes. During the second session, the sides discussed the possibility of building security both in Syria and in the region as a whole. The seminar was attended by RIAC management, members and experts.

In May 2018, RIAC held a meeting with representatives from the Department of Foreign Policy Planning of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in Moscow. The German delegation was led by Ralf Beste, Director for Policy Planning. The meeting was opened by Aleksandr Kramarenko, RIAC Director of Development. The sides discussed the political situation in the Middle East, namely, the withdrawal of the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the risks it has brought with it, the

positions of the sides on the Syrian crisis and the role of regional powers in the conflicts in the Middle East.

On May 14, the Russian International Affairs Council held a meeting with representatives from the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies (IWAAS) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Moscow. Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General, and Tang Zhichao, Director of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Science, opened the event. The Russian and Chinese experts discussed a strategy for interaction in the Middle East and touched upon a wide range of issues, including cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), attitudes towards regional security and the role of global powers in the Middle East. The sides also discussed the growing influence of Moscow and Beijing in the regional affairs against the background of the reducing role of the United States.

On September 18, RIAC and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) held a closed round table entitled “Towards MED 2018 — Syria, Libya and Yemen: the MENA Crises’ Outcome” in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. The event was held as part of the preparations for the Fourth Annual Conference “Mediterranean Dialogues” at the highest level (MED) with the participation of the heads of state and government of the Mediterranean countries, as well as representatives of business, science, civil society and the media

RIAC also cooperated with its American partners in the Middle Eastern area of its activities. In July, Berlin hosted the fifth meeting of the “Middle East Dialogue” organized by the U.S. Middle East Institute in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. A small group of American and Russian specialists on the region from various research centers took part in the dialogue. The meeting in Berlin was attended by RIAC Vice-President Aleksandr Aksenenok, RIAC Director General Kortunov and several RIAC experts.

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1. Working paper No. 42 / 2018. Russia and Israel: The Middle Eastern Vector of Relations

2. Working paper No. 46 / 2018 After the “Caliphate”: Prospects for Russia-Iraq Relations

3. Working paper No. 47 / 2018 Security in the Arab Mashriq: Russia, Regional and External Players

4. Deepening Turkey-Russia Relations. Special Edition of Perceptions Journal of The Center for Strategic Research (SAM) MFA of Turkey (prepared by SAM and Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)) / Summer 2018 Volume XXIII - Number 2. Ankara, 2018

• Security System in the Middle East• Russia–Iran Relations on the Modern Stage• Russia–Turkey Relations: Bilateral

Cooperation in the Regional Context

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS

Another important area of RIAC’s work is cooperation with its partners from Turkey. On March 4, RIAC and the Embassy of Turkey in the Russian Federation organized a round table with the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey Numan Kurtulmuş on soft and smart power in Russia–Turkey relations. The meeting was attended by Turkish officials and leading Russian specialists on politics, history and cultural interaction between the two nations. The sides discussed issues pertaining to the state of relations between the Russian and Turkish intellectual and academic circles, the role of public and digital diplomacy in international, the role of the media in Russia–Turkey relations and in relations between these two countries and the West.

On May 7–8, 2018, Turkey hosted the annual Istanbul Security Conference. The Russian side was represented at the Conference by RIAC member and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Pyotr Stegniy and RIAC Deputy Director of Programs Timur Makhmutov, both of whom gave presentations at the sessions on Middle Eastern issues. The eleventh edition of the

Conference was held with the support of the Center of Strategic Research of the Başkent University and the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation.

In October, RIAC and the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (SAM) hosted the international conference “Russia and Turkey: Strategic Directions of Multidimensional Partnership” in Moscow. The event came in continuation of the work started by the two organizations in 2015. The conference was attended by Russian and Turkish diplomats, experts, businesspeople and representatives of international organizations, who discussed Russian and Turkish approaches to the formation of a regional security system, the development of economic and energy cooperation and building cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries.

As for the Iranian dimension of RIAC’s activities, work with the Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies (IRAS) continued in 2018. Two online RIAC–IRAS seminars were held on the regulation of the Syrian crisis and the positions of Russia and Iran in the Middle East.


1. Aleksandr Aksenenok. “Prospects for Post-War Syria: Constitution and Governance”

2. Vitaly Naumkin. “Syrian Surprises” 3. Ivan Timofeev. “Pulling Out of the Iran Deal:

America’s Defeat, Trump’s Victory” 4. Ruslan Mamedov. “The Prospects for Russia–

China Cooperation in the Middle East” 5. Timur Akhmetov. “Super-Elections in Turkey:

Opposition Wants to Maintain the Status Quo with Russia”

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The topic of Eurasian economic integration and the post-Soviet space occupied a significant place in the work of the Russian International Affairs Council in 2018. In May, RIAC published studying and teaching materials “The EAEU: A Space of Economic Integration.” The materials focus on the development of Eurasian integration at the present stage. The publication came as a result of a research project carried out by RIAC for the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).

EURASIAN INTEGRATION AND THE POST-SOVIET SPACE

The studying and teaching materials were presented on May 29 at the National Research University Higher School of Economics as part of the “Theory of Eurasian Integration” International Conference. During the panel discussion, which was attended by representatives of the EEC, the EDB, RIAC and the Higher School of Economics, the participants raised such fundamental issues as the existence of a theory of Eurasian integration, define what the concept of a “Greater Eurasia” is and develop a set of values of Eurasian integration. RIAC Manager for Analytical Work Elena Alekseenkova gave a presentation on her vision of the problem, which is based on the Council’s research and development in this area over the past three years.

On October 1–5, Moscow hosted the IV International School of Eurasian Integration “The Eurasian Economic Union: Shaping the Outline of the Future.” The event was organized by the Russian International Affairs Council, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the Aleksandr

Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund and the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). The school opening was attended by Chairman of the Board of the EEC Tigran Sargsyan, Member of the Board of the EEC and Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics Tatyana Valovaya, RIAC Vice-President and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Gleb Ivashentsov and Deputy Executive Director of the Aleksandr Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund Roman Grishenin.

RIAC kept a close eye on the rapid political changes that took place in Armenia during 2018. The best articles on the issue by RIAC’s experts from Russia and Armenia were included in a working paper “Armenia in the New Political Realities: Challenges and Prospects in 2018.”

On September 9–13, RIAC took part in the “Caucasus Dialogue – 2018” organized by the Aleksandr Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund and the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). RIAC Program Coordinator Ruslan Mamedov took part in the discussions held at the event on the transformation of the security system in the Middle East and on the challenges facing Russia in the region.

On April 23, the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Dushanbe held a seminar on the creation of a single Eurasian educational space. The seminar touched upon issues of Russia’s humanitarian presence in Central Asian countries, the development of a network of Slavonic universities, the prospects for cooperation between universities in Russia and Tajikistan, and

the modernization of university websites to improve the competitiveness of universities. RIAC Deputy Director of Programs Timur Makhmutov spoke at the event. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Russian–Tajik Slavonic University, Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Tajik State University of Law, Business and Politics, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Ural–Eurasia Expert Club.

It was also in April that RIAC Manager for Analytical Work Elena Alekseenkova took part in the VI International Meeting of Intellectuals in Bishkek. The event was organized by the International Institute for the Development of Scientific Cooperation, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian International Affairs Council, the SEREP Research Institute and the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic. The topic of the meeting was “The Experience of Living Together in Eurasia,” and the event touched upon a wide range of issues: the features of the common historical and cultural heritage of the peoples of Eurasia, the burning issues of radicalism and extremism and the problem of migration in the region.

The Russian International Affairs Council and the International Centre on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN) held their final conference in Borjomi, Georgia in January. The event was organized as part of the international program “Facilitating the Russia–Georgia Dialogue.” ICCN Director Nina Tsikhistavi-Khutsishvili, RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov, Vice-Rector at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) Evgeny Kozhokin and RIAC Deputy Director of Programs Timur Makhmutov all gave speeches at the opening of the event. The Russian side was represented at the conference by representatives from RIAC, the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian State University for the Humanities and the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

• Eurasian Economic Integration: Effective Ways of Expert Cooperation

• Political and Economic Dynamics in the Countries of Central Asia

• Russia and Georgia: Ways to Solve Problems in Bilateral Relations

• Vectors of Development of Eastern European Countries: Challenges for Russia

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS


1. Elena Kuzmina. “The EAEU Summit: An Image-Building Event or a Valid Negotiation Platform?”

2. Sergey Markedonov. “The Armenian ‘Transit’”3. Daniil Parenkov. “The Politics of Canons and

Borders”4. Avigdor Eskin. “Tenth Anniversary as a Chance for

Peace and Rethinking” 5. Nana Gegelashvili. “Azerbaijan after the

Presidential Elections: The Positions of the United States and Russia”

1. Studying and Teaching Materials No. 8 / 2018. EAEU: Economic Integration Space

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One of the Russian International Affairs Council’s key areas of work concerns Russia’s cooperation with countries in Asia-Pacific, as well as its multilateral cooperation with the region as a whole. In 2018, RIAC actively developed joint research projects with both long-term and new partners in the region on a wide range of pressing issues of the international agenda.

EAST ASIA

A key event on the RIAC calendar in 2018 was the IV International Conference “Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era,” which took place in Beijing on May 29–30. This marked the first time that the event, which has already become an integral part of the Russia–China dialogue, was held in the latter country. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) hosted the event. RIAC and CASS signed a memorandum of cooperation in June 2016 as part of the visit of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to the People’s Republic of China.

Speakers at the opening ceremony included Dai Bingguo, Chairman of the China–Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development; Igor Ivanov, RIAC President and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Xie Fuzhan President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Igor Morgulov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and RIAC member; Zhang Hanhui, Assistant (Deputy) Minister of Foreign Affairs of China; Li Jianyong, Member of the Standing Committee and Publicity Department Director at CPC Fujian Provincial

Committee; and Li Dongdong, Senior Adviser at the China–Russia Friendship Association.

The conference agenda included stepping up cooperation between Russia and China to strengthen international security; taking political, trade, economic, financial and investment interaction to a qualitatively new level; developing ties between Moscow and Beijing in digital security; and stimulating integration processes in the Eurasian space. Over 350 people participated in the two-day event, including more than 70 speakers from Russian and Chinese ministries and agencies, regional administrations and international organizations, and representatives of the expert communities and business circles of the two countries. The conference was covered extensively by the Russian and Chinese media.

The event included a presentation of the RIAC’s flagship analytical material – the annual “Russian–Chinese Dialogue” report prepared by RIAC, the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University. This year marked the fourth edition of the report. The joint RIAC–CASS policy brief “Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era” was also presented at the Conference.

In December, together with the Embassy of China in Russia RIAC held a round table entitled “Results of and Prospects for the Development of Russia–China Relations in Light of the 40th Anniversary of the Policy of Reforms and Openness in the People’s Republic of China.” President of the Russian International Affairs Council Igor Ivanov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Li Hui gave welcoming speeches at the meeting.

Throughout the year, RIAC held expert meetings with the delegations of leading Chinese think tanks, including the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

On July 28, RIAC hosted a city breakfast at the Dostoevsky Library “Can the SCO Unite Eurasia? Summary of the SCO Summit.” Speeches were made at the event by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation and former Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Mikhail Konarovsky and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for East Asian and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Studies at MGIMO and the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Igor Denisov. The experts summed up the results of the SCO Summit that took place on June 9–10 in Qingdao (China), stressing its significance for the organization, especially as it was the first summit to include eight members – the accession of India and Pakistan has expanded the geopolitical capabilities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation considerably.

RIAC also paid great attention in its work to issues of interaction between Russia and Japan. On February 19, the Council organized a roundtable discussion “Russia–Japan Relations in the Context of the National Security Strategies.” The keynote address at the meeting was delivered by Yusuke Arai, Director of the National Security Policy Division of the Foreign Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. On March 14–15, the third conference in the trilateral “Russia–Japan–United States” dialogue series was held at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. As part of the two-day event, leading Russian, Japanese and American experts discussed the opportunities for cooperation in Northeast Asia and Asia-Pacific.

In 2018, RIAC continued its work on the project to develop relations between Russia and South Korea. On February 1, RIAC hosted the Korea–Russia Next Generation Policy Experts Network Forum. The event was organized in cooperation with the Korea Foundation and the Asia-Pacific Research Center at Hanyang University. At the Forum, experts from the two countries discussed security and stability on the Korean Peninsula

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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in the context of the North Korean nuclear program and relations between the two Koreas; strategic cooperation between Russia, China and the United States in East Asia, as well as bilateral relations between Russia and South Korea. During the November trip to South Korea, the Russian delegation took part in expert discussions and closed meetings with Korean experts and diplomats.

On August 29, RIAC held a round table on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Russia–Korea relations. The keynote address was delivered by Suh Choo-suk, Vice Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea. In his report, Mr. Suh noted the intensification of political dialogue and economic cooperation between Russia and South Korea, as well as the unprecedented development of humanitarian ties thanks to the introduction of a visa-free regime.

• Russia and the Asia-Pacific: Conceptual Basis for Security and Development Policy

• East Asia: Russia’s Foreign Policy Priorities• Russia and China: Partnership in the Context

of Security Challenges and Development in the Asia Pacific

• Russia and Republic of Korea: an Outlook for Bilateral Relations

• Russia and Japan: How to Solve Problems in Bilateral Relations

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS

Key Publications on the RIAC Website 1. Igor Ivanov. “Russia, China and the New World

Order”2. Andrey Kortunov. “China and the U.S. in Asia: Four

Scenarios for the Future”3. Mikhail Konarovsky. “Bonus for the ‘Big Eight’ in

Qingdao: Some Thoughts on the SCO Summit”4. Georgy Toloraya. “Korean Reconciliation. What

Should Russia Do?” 5. Vladimir Nelidov. “Prime Minister Abe’s Third

Term: What is New for Japan and Russia?”

1. Report No. 39 / 2018. Russian–Chinese Dialogue: The 2018 Model

2. Working Paper No. 43 / 2018. Prospects of Russia–Japan Cooperation in Eurasia

3. Policy Brief No. 16 / 2018. Regional Security in Northeast Asia and the Russia–Japan–U.S. Triangle

4. Policy Brief No. 17 / 2018. Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era. Results of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and of the Russian Presidential Election

5. Policy Brief No. 18 / 2018. Prospects for Liberalizing Visa Regime between Russia and China

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Russian International Affairs Council ANNUAL REPORT 2018

In 2018, the Russian International Affairs Council continued its work on South Asia. The Council expanded its network of partners with leading regional think tanks in order to study burning issues in bilateral relations and the multilateral agenda in South Asia, devoting special attention to the promotion of cooperation between Russia and India.

SOUTH ASIA

On May 24, RIAC hosted an expert discussion with former Ambassador of India to Russia and Chairman of the Government of India’s National Security Advisory Board P. S. Raghavan. Russian and Indian diplomats discussed the approaches of the two countries to global governance, the balance of power in Asia and the prospects for the development of the situation in the region.

In September, the Russian International Affairs Council co-organized a session on Russia–India cooperation in Eurasia as part of the conference “India–Russia in the 21st Century: Enhancing the Special Privileged Strategic Partnership” held by the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation in New Delhi. RIAC was represented at the event by Gleb Ivashentsov, RIAC Vice-President and Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation. The Second RIAC and Indian Council of World

Affairs (ICWA) Conference on Russia–India Relations that took place in New Delhi on November 14–15 was a key event in RIAC’s work on the Indian track of its activities. The conference allowed Russian and Indian experts and diplomats to discuss the main achievements, as well as the most pressing problems, in bilateral relations over the past year and formulate recommendations for developing cooperation between the two countries. Welcoming addresses were given by RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs T. C. A. Raghavan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to India Nikolay Kudashev and heads of the Ministry of External Affairs of

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the Government of India. On the sidelines of the conference, RIAC representatives held meetings with key Indian think tanks, including the Vivekananda International Foundation, a long-time partner of the Council. RIAC and Vivekananda International Foundation experts continue working on a second joint report on Russia–India relations.

The possible effect that the anti-Russian sanctions could have on cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi, primarily in the military-technical sphere, garnered much attention in 2018. In order to examine this issue in detail and compare the approaches of the two countries, RIAC and Gateway House drew up a joint policy brief “Russia — India Cooperation against the Background of Sanctions: Adverse Effects and New Opportunities.”

The Russian International Affairs Council attaches particular importance to interaction with other countries in South Asia. As part of RIAC’s cooperation with Sri Lanka’s Pathfinder Foundation, Andrey Kortunov has joined the advisory group for a conference on security in the Indian Ocean that is planned for 2019.

On February 22, Islamabad hosted a conference on the state of relations between Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia and security challenges facing the region. The event was organized by the Strategic Vision Institute in Pakistan. The welcome address was delivered by Minister of Defence of Pakistan Khurram Dastgir Khan. Ruslan Mamedov, RIAC Program Coordinator, represented RIAC at the event.

• South Asia: Opportunities and Challenges for Russia

• Russia and India: Toward a New Bilateral Agenda


1. Andrey Kortunov. “Indo-Pacific or Community of Common Destiny?”

2. Dmitry Narkevsky. “China–India: A Meeting of Global Scale that Went Unnoticed”

3. Aleksey Kupriyanov. “The Maldives: Choosing between Two Giants”

4. Sergey Velichkin. “Russia and Nepal: The View from the Himalayas Goes on For Miles”

5. Georgy Asatryan. “The Invisible Hand of the Elections in Pakistan”

1. Policy Brief No. 19 / 2018. Russia – India Cooperation against the Background of Sanctions: Adverse Effects and New Opportunities

2. Conference Report “Strategic Visions of Russia–India Relations and Changes in World Order”

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS

3736


In 2018, RIAC continued its work on international cooperation in the Arctic. On May 16, the Council held a round table discussion on the integrated marine management in the Arctic and the assessment of experience in regulating maritime activities in waters beyond national jurisdictions.

THE ARCTIC

A second round table meeting on the same subject was held on October 11, with RIAC presenting a draft report on the integrated governance of the ocean space in the Arctic Ocean. The participants noted the importance of the issue for the development of regional cooperation and highlighted the need of new approaches to protecting Russia’s interests in the Arctic at all levels of regional cooperation.

The meetings were attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Center for Support of the State Commission on Arctic Development, the Institute of State and Law, the Institute of Regional Consulting, the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation, the Primakov Institute

of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO RAS), the Research Institute of Road Transport under the Ministry of Transport, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Kutafin Moscow State Law University, Shtokman Development AG, WWF Russia and the Institute for National Strategy.

In June, RIAC held a round table discussion on “The Problems of Development and International Cooperation in the Arctic” in conjunction with the Russian State Hydrometeorological University and the Business Index North project. The event

included a presentation of the “Business Index North — 2018” report on the main development parameters for Arctic region countries. Human capital, economic growth, innovation, transport and logistics infrastructure in the North were also among the issues discussed at the round table

On August 24, RIAC Deputy Director of Programs Timur Makhmutov took part in a round table “Current Problems of Ensuring National Security in the Arctic Region” as part of the International Military-Technical Forum “ARMY-2018.” The expert meeting was organized by the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and was attended by some 200 participants, including military personnel, researchers, experts and representatives of government bodies and public organizations.

On October 19, RIAC took part in the first day of the Sixth Arctic Circle International Forum in Reykjavik. Sergey Kislyak, RIAC member and Member of the Federation Council, spoke at the opening session. RIAC Deputy Director of Programs Timur Makhmutov presented RIAC’s work on sanctions as part of the session entitled “High North Series: Business in the Arctic.”

RIAC also developed its educational activities on the Arctic throughout 2018. For instance, in January, the Dostoevsky Library hosted a RIAC city breakfast entitled “Who Will Claim the Arctic in the 21st Century?” RIAC Deputy Director of Programs Timur Makhmutov, Associate Professor at the North-Eastern Federal University Daryana Maksimova, and Andrey Krivorotov, the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Shtokman Development AG and Member of the International Arctic Social Sciences Association, discussed issues pertaining to the development of the Arctic in the 21st century, international cooperation in the region and training professionals for its future development.

• International Cooperation in the Arctic


1. Timur Makhmutov and Aleksandr Zagorsky. “How Much Does the Arctic Cost Russia?” (video lecture)

2. Timur Makhmutov, Darya Polosina, Anastasia Kosivets. “Sanctions Activity of the U.S. and the EU in Regard to Russia: Consequences for Arctic Projects”

3. Pavel Gudev. “The Northern Sea Route: A National or an International Transportation Corridor?”

4. Valery Konyshev and Alexandr Sergunin. “Arctic — 2018: Is the Spirit of the Ilulissat Declaration Still Alive?”

5. Vladimir Vasilyev. “Autopilot: The Prospects of Using Crewless Ships”

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

PROJECTS

FUNCTIONAL PROJECTS

2 | RIAC ACTIVITIES

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018Russian International

Affairs Council

The Russian International Affairs Council continued its analytical work on issues related to international migration in 2018.

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

In March, acting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Jean-Noel Wetterwald visited RIAC. He met with RIAC management to discuss the problem of international migration and refugees in the context of regional crisis situations, the possibility of expanding cooperation between Russia and the UNHCR in terms of exchanging experience on working with internally displaced persons and refugees, and the tasks facing the international community in this area.

On June 25–26, RIAC took part in the regional seminar “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Migration Policies as a Tool for Regional Economic Stability, Development and Growth in Central Asia” in Almaty (Kazakhstan). The event was held by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in

Europe (OSCE) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). RIAC Manager for Analytical Work Elena Alekseenkova moderated a meeting on the issue of leveraging the policy on labor migration in line with the needs of the labor market.

On September 19–21, Moscow hosted the IV International Conference “Migration and International Law.” The event was organized by the Russian International Affairs Council, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

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RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov, Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Valentina Kazakova, Head of ICRC Delegation in the Russian Federation, Belarus and Moldova Magne Bart, Director of the Center for Theoretical and Applied Political Science at RANEPA Vladimir Malakhov, Deputy Head of Delegation and Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union to Russia Aleska Simkic, and acting representative of the UN Refugee Agency Anne-Elisabeth Ravetto all gave welcoming speeches at the conference’s plenary session.

As per tradition, the conference brought

together representatives of the state authorities, diplomats, prominent representatives of the Russian and foreign academic and expert communities involved in the study of migration processes, as well as human rights activists and representatives of civil society organizations. Representatives of the IOM, the ICMPD (International Center for Migration Policy Development), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and scientists and experts from the United Kingdom (the University of Leicester and the University of Southampton), the Netherlands (the Transnational University), France (Paris 13 University) and other countries also took part in the event.

Conference participants discussed issues pertaining to the global management of migration processes, the correlation between international and national law in the regulation of migration, the legal aspects of labor migration, assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons and the moral and ethical bases of the legal regulation of international migration.

• International Migration Processes: Trends, Challenges and Outlook


1. Elena Alekseenkova. “A Bone of Contention: Why the Refugee Problem Almost Split the EU”

2. Lyubov Shishelina. “Viktor Orban and the European Dispute over Values”

3. Natalya Plevako. “The Immigration Problem and Nationalist Movements in Scandinavian Countries”

4. Nikolay Vlasov. “A German Kind of Family Scandal”5. Tatyana Moshkova. “The Israeli Zugzwang: The

African Migrant Problem”

PROJECTS

43

ANNUAL REPORT 2018Russian International

Affairs Council

Digital issues acquired a cross-regional dimension in RIAC’s project activities in 2018. In January, RIAC representatives took part in Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics. The event served as a platform for discussions, among other things, on the use of new technologies for military purposes and on current information security practices in the region.

CYBERSPACE AND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION

Cybersecurity issues were at the forefront of the “Russia–the United States–Japan” joint round table organized by RIAC and the National Committee on American Foreign Policy in March.

The second part of the joint report by the Russian International Affairs Council and Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) published in April 2018 outlines the Russian and British approaches to ensuring information and cyber security. Experts from the two countries have already submitted a proposal to produce a third part of the report in collaboration with RUSI.

The Russian International Affairs Council developed cooperation with the EastWest Institute (EWI) in 2018. As part of a joint project between the two think tanks, U.S. and Russian experts continued their search for ways to build bridges in relations between the two countries.

In May, information security and new technologies was for the first time included in the agenda of the annual conference “Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era.” A session dedicated to the issue dealt with Russian and Chinese approaches to ensuring security and using internet technologies and artificial intelligence.

In October, RIAC once again took on the role of information partner of the CyberCrimeCon/18, annual conference on cybersecurity organized by Group-IB, one of the world’s leading companies in cybercrime prevention and investigation. RIAC set up a stand in the Digital Business Space that provided information on the Council’s most recent publications.

In 2018, RIAC continued its work with the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), organizing and supporting international expert evaluations of scientific and technical programs and projects submitted to the RSF for consideration. As a result of this cooperation, RIAC organized and supported 581 projects under the Russian Science Foundation competition “Basic Scientific Research and Exploratory Scientific Research, Conducted by Individual Research Teams,” selected 118 foreign researchers to be included in the RSF pool of international experts and prepared a policy brief on the new trends in the activities of leading international science foundations in 2017–2018.

• Information Security, Response to Cyber Threats and the Use of the Internet to Defend Russia’s National Interests on the International Scene

• Russia–U.S. Cybersecurity Dialogue• Organizing International Expert Evaluations

for RSF Projects• Russia’s International Science and

Technology Cooperation


1. Igor Ivanov. “International Security and ‘Turbid Waters’ of Cyberspace”

2. Special Project “North Korea’s Cyber”3. Aleksandr Mamaev. “Cyber Caliphate: What Apps

Are the Islamic State Using?”4. Pavel Karasev. “European and NATO Cyber

Forces”5. Pavel Sharikov. “Protecting Sensitive Data: The

Experience of Russia and the U.S.”

1. Report No. 38 / 2018. Defining Dialogue: How to Manage Russia–UK Security Relations. Part 2

42

Cybersecurity issues are also addressed by other RIAC projects. For example, sections on the relevant topics were included in joint reports prepared by RIAC with the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in the United Kingdom (RUSI).

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS

4544


The Russian International Affairs Council launched a new field of activities in 2018 to analyse the international and social implications of using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

In February, RIAC co-organized the session “AI and Global Security” at the OpenTalks.AI conference on artificial intelligence. RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov, the sole founder of UKCI Russia and RIAC member Ulvi Kasimov, founder of the HICCup organization Esther Dyson, ambassador of Singularity University in Russia Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Director of Operations at GoodAI Olga Afanasyeva all took part in the session. The session was moderated by RIAC Director of Programs Ivan Timofeev.

RIAC representatives took part in two conferences organized by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on the influence of AI technologies and autonomous systems on nuclear safety and strategic stability. At the events, which were held in Stockholm (Sweden) and Beijing (China), experts discussed the issue of security in Europe and East

Asia, the issue of AI in upgrading nuclear arsenals, possible crisis scenarios and steps to mitigate the risks and negative effects of implementing new technologies.

In June, RIAC Media and Government Relations Manager Nikolay Markotkin took part in the 30th International Seminar on Security and Defence in Toledo (Spain) organized by the Association of European Journalists in partnership with the Government of Spain and its Ministry of Defence. At the event, Nikolay Markotkin discussed the dangers of a new arms race in the field of artificial intelligence at a session called “Does the Post-International Order Put an End to Multilateralism?” with the Secretary General for Defence Policy of the Ministry of Defence of Spain Admiral Juan Francisco Martinez Nuñez and former Secretary General of the Council of the European Union (1999–2009) and NATO (1995–1999) Javier Solana.

On November 6, RIAC hosted the “International and Social Impacts of Artificial Intelligence

Technologies” conference in Moscow. A working paper of the same name was presented at the event, becoming RIAC’s first publication on AI. The event brought together diplomats, military personnel, representatives of leading research institutions engaged in AI, businesspeople, experts in global politics and economics, science journalists, lawyers, political scientists and sociologists. The conference marked the first time that a broad discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on international relations, international security and society had taken place at a large-scale public event in Russia. The results of the conference were presented at a RIAC city breakfast in the Dostoevsky Library.

A series of expert commentaries by Russian and international researchers on AI issues was published on the RIAC website throughout the year.

1. Working Paper No. 44 / 2018. International and Social Impacts of Artificial Intelligence Technologies

• International and Social Impacts of Using Artificial Intelligence Technologies


1. Sergey Karelov. “AI Nationalism and AI Nationalization Are Ahead” (special project)

2. Nikolay Markotkin. “A Brave New World without Work”

3. Leonid Kovachich. “China Missed the Industrial Revolution, But It Won’t Miss the Digital One”

4. Maksim Karlyuk. “The Ethical and Legal Issues of Artificial Intelligence”

5. Dmitry Scheftelowitsch. “Artificial Intelligence: Time of the Weak”

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS

4746


RIAC continued working on its projects on forecasting and global governance in 2018.

FORECASTING AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

In February, RIAC held an expert meeting “Methods for Forecasting Global Processes,” attended by representatives of Russian universities and think tanks. The meeting involved a discussion of the methods and approaches used to forecast global trends and the problems that researchers encounter in the course of their work. Those in attendance also analysed the conclusions drawn in the RIAC report “Russia’s Foreign Policy: Looking Towards 2018” and shared their own experiences of analysing global processes.

In September and November, RIAC hosted expert meetings as part of the “Global Trends and Russia’s Position in the World” project. The project is aimed at assessing current and potential global development trends, as well as at developing an understanding of the role and Russia’s position in the world in the medium and long term.

The seminars were devoted to the methodological study of ways to analyse the global risks and challenges currently facing Russia. The discussions covered a wide range of issues, including: the future impact of technological development on the human capital and labor markets; the opportunities and risks involved in choosing the strategy of a “besieged fortress,” the potential of integration projects as an alternative to domestic reforms, etc. The meeting was attended by leading experts, including economists and political scientists, and international relations specialists from the Higher School of Economics, the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), the Eurasian Development Bank and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology.

In late 2018, over 40 RIAC experts contributed to a forecast project outlining possible development scenarios for key global political, economic and technological trends up to 2024. The project was presented as a collection of papers and an internet site, and was met with significant interest in the media and among members of the expert community.

2018 also saw the completion of the joint media project developed by RIAC and Gazeta.ru. As part of the project, RIAC experts, scientists and cultural influencers talked about what the different aspects of politics, economics and public life will look like at the turn of the 22nd century. The project’s final publications were dedicated to the Arctic region and the post-Soviet space.

As part of its analysis of current issues in global governance, on February 20, RIAC presented the results of the project “Foresight on Ukraine: Four Scenarios for the Development of Ukraine up to 2027” conducted together with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation for Cooperation and Peace in Europe (Vienna, Austria). Each of the scenarios was presented by a member of the working group that included RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov, Director of the Institute for Global Transformations (Kiev) Aleksey Semeniy, the Head of the Regional Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation for Cooperation and Peace in Europe Reinhard Krumm, and Research Associate at the Regional Office Simon Weiss.

In March, RIAC hosted the first visiting session of the Astana Club on “Central Asia and Russia: Creating a Common Future,” which was organized by the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian International Affairs Council. The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps and Russian and Kazakhstani think tanks, as well as independent experts and journalists. RIAC Director of Programs Ivan Timofeev and Program Coordinator Vladimir Morozov represented the Council at the event.

• RIAC Global Forecast• Global Development Trends: Opportunities

and Risks for Russia• Global Governance and Development Risks

in Greater Eurasia• “The World in 100 Years” Media Project


1. RIAC Global Forecast for 2019 (media project)2. Igor Ivanov. “Like Grass through Asphalt”3. Pyotr Stegniy and Aleksandr Kramarenko. “A False

Alternative”4. Ekaterina Chimiris. “If You Explain to People Why

they Should Do What You Want, They Will Do It” 5. Dmitry Mosyakov. “Premonition of a Global

Cataclysm”

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

PROJECTS

49

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

48


Against the background of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia from the West and the adoption of new packages of countersanctions, RIAC launched a new project in 2018 dedicated to the international sanctions policy. RIAC publishes a monthly review that analyses the changes in the sanctions regimes against Russia and other countries.

THE SANCTIONS POLICY

On May 25, the Russian International Affairs Council held a working meeting together with representatives of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States “The Sanctions Against Russia: Escalation Scenarios and Countermeasures.” The event focused on the current dynamics of the sanctions regime of Western countries against Russia, the prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, the problems in U.S.–EU relations in connection with the situation surrounding Iran, possible measures and mechanisms for mitigating the sanctions, and scenarios for the future development of economic instruments in the foreign policies of the United States, the European Union, Russia and China.

On June 14, RIAC held a round table in conjunction with the law firm ART DE LEX and the legal website Pravo.ru on “Sanctions Against Russia and the New Russian Legislation on Countering Sanctions: Risks for Business.” The event was attended by representatives of the state authorities, leading Russian and international companies that carry out legal and financial analysis and consulting activities, and RIAC experts. The participants discussed the problems facing the Russian economy and businesses as a result of the sanctions imposed by Western countries, the possibility of overcoming the negative consequences of the sanctions and issues related to the new Russian legislation on

countermeasures. RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov, Director of Programs Ivan Timofeev, and Program Coordinator Vladimir Morozov joined the event.

In July, the annual Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) symposium was held in Alexandria, Virginia (United States). The event focused on current issues in global finance and trade and financial relations between the United States, China and Russia.

Issues discussed at the three-day conference, which was attended by former and current high-ranking government officials from China and the United States, representatives of international financial organizations and private banks, and experts from Russia, China and the United States, included: the goals and costs of international sanctions regimes; the international political aspects of new financial technologies; the prospects for the development of cryptocurrencies and the use of blockchain technologies; as well as the general state of the global financial markets and their impact on relations between major powers. The symposium was attended by RIAC Director of Programs Ivan Timofeev.

The Council also held a series of round tables in Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency discussing American sanctions imposed on Russia and Iran as well as possible response measures.

• The Sanctions Against Russia: Escalation Scenarios and Countermeasures


1. Ivan Timofeev. “How Can Russia Respond to the Sanctions?”

2. Ivan Timofeev. “U.S. Sanctions against Iran: Background and Possible Consequences”

3. Ivan Timofeev. “DASKAA and the New Anti-Russia Sanctions: Does the US Want Self-Isolation?”

4. Areg Galstyan. “Domestic Aspects of the U.S. Sanctions Policy against Russia”

5. Igor Yushkov. “The Fight for Nord Stream 2: The Interests of all the Players Involved”

1. Report No. 37 / 2018. The Sanctions Against Russia: Escalation Scenarios and Countermeasures

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS

51

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

50


The Russian International Affairs Council continued its work to promote Russian universities abroad in 2018. On February 21, RIAC delegation held a working seminar to evaluate the English-language version of Russian State University for the Humanities’ website.

EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS

In April, RIAC presented its project on the Digital Internationalization of Russian Universities at the Third International Education Week at Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (UrFU). The event was attended by representatives of UrFU’s partner universities. RIAC’s work in this area resulted in the publication of the report “Web Internationalization: Russian Universities 2017–2018” in June. The report was presented to representatives of Russian higher education institutions as part of the advanced training program at the Financial University under

the Government of the Russian Federation on June 8 and the IX International Russian Higher Education Conference (RHEC) “Universities in Search of a Balance between New and Familiar Goals” on October 23. RIAC Director of Programs Ivan Timofeev presented the results of the latest research into the English-language resources and social media accounts of 65 Russian universities, an updated rating of the English-language websites of Russian universities, the conclusions drawn from an analysis of common problems and the recommendations of authors of the report on the

development of content for the English-language sites of Russian universities.

As part of the educational component of the program, RIAC held a training course on “Promoting Russian Universities on the Foreign Web” at the Far Eastern Federal University in June. And in October it held a webinar “The English-Language Website of the Higher Education Institution: The Creation, Development and Promotion of Educational and Research Services Abroad. Factors and Criteria for Success of the University’s Internet Resource and Key Sections of its Website” for students in the advanced training program at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. Those who attended these events learned about the best tools and practices for developing universities’ English-language websites in order to increase the attractiveness of Russian educational programs and research facilities for foreigners, as well as to improve the effectiveness of Russian universities as exporters of education.

On October 1–5, Moscow hosted the Eurasian Economic Union’s International School of Eurasian Integration “The Eurasian Economic Union: Shaping the Outline of the Future.” The event was organized by the Russian International Affairs Council, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the Aleksandr Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, and the Eurasian Development Bank. Welcome addresses were delivered by Chairman of the Board of the EEC Tigran Sargsyan, RIAC Vice-President and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Gleb Ivashentsov and Deputy Executive Director of the Aleksandr Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund Roman Grishenin.

The school’s rich educational program included meetings with agencies and organizations involved in the development of Eurasian economic integration. Member of the Board of the EEC and Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics Tatyana

Valovaya addressed the participants, outlining the main development areas in the EAEU space. The participants visited the Russian Export Center and learned about Russia’s export assistance programs. They also got a chance to meet with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Pankin and find out what the Ministry’s take on the integration project is.

One of the most important elements of the school was the development of draft modules on Eurasian integration for educational programs. Three groups of participants were tasked with creating draft courses that would be beneficial to various audiences if they were included in educational programs. The EAEU modules were presented on the closing day of the school.

On September 12, RIAC held a Seminar on Academic Writing as part of the Global Science Program. Natalie Reid, lecturer at the University of California, member of National Writers Union, author of articles on academic writing, editor of professional papers, academic books and anthologies and developer of specialized courses on academic writing and journal analysis, spoke at the seminar. During the event, Reid detailed the basic rules for the preparation of scientific publications in academic journals in English, as well as the structure of publications and the main mistakes made in the preparation and writing of publications.

In 2018, RIAC welcomed 67 interns from universities in Russia and abroad (United States, Germany). It is noteworthy that among the Russian interns were students from universities across the country (this year’s students were from Bashkir Academy of Public Administration and Management under the Auspices of the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan and Voronezh State University).

53

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

52

RIAC program managers and coordinators act as mentors for the interns. Students have an opportunity to get involved in the Council’s project activities in areas that are of interest to them. Interns at the Russian International Affairs Council take part in current project activities (preparation of events, researching information, compiling databases) and work on their own papers under the supervision of their mentors.

• Digital Internationalisation of Russian Universities

• Globalization 2.0: New Approaches to Research and Teaching

• Promoting Russian Exporters on the Global Internet

• International Relations Online Courses Contest

• Global Science• RIAC Schools


1. Studying and Teaching Materials No. 8 / 2018 EAEU: Economic Integration Space

2. Report No. 40 / 2018. Web Internationalization: Russian Universities 2017–2018

PROJECTS


5554

RIAC actively developed its public outreach activities in 2018, successfully implementing a number of projects aimed at young people and anyone interested in international affairs.

PUBLIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

The new season of Urbi et Orbi city breakfasts at the Dostoevsky Library kicked off in January. The breakfasts give listeners the opportunity to learn more about burning issues in international relations from experts and researchers in this field. The title of this series refers to Ancient Rome, where important announcements would be proceeded by the words Urbi et Orbi. In the same way, RIAC experts explain the essence of the processes taking shape in the world today and the role that Moscow and Russia play in them.

The breakfasts include lectures and Q&A sessions, giving participants the opportunity to talk to leading international affairs experts in an informal setting.

Over the course of the year, RIAC held 11 events on various aspects and problems of international relations, including: Russia–U.S. relations; Russia–Turkey relations; the development of the Arctic region; digital diplomacy; and the prospects of Korean reunification.

Over the past two years, Urbi et Orbi city breakfasts have become one of RIAC’s signature events, with leading Russian experts in international affairs, as well as students and postgraduates all taking part. The Gazeta.ru internet news portal acts as the information partner of Urbi et Orbi city breakfasts.

In April, RIAC took part in the annual national “Night in the Library” promotion, hosting an open discussion with young scholars on the topic “Fathers and Sons in the Academic Environment” at the Dostoevsky Library. At the discussion, Foreign Policy and Security Expert at the Center for Strategic Research Anton Tsvetov and Ph.D. candidate in Slavic and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University writer Olga Breininger talked about how young scholars differ from their predecessors.

RIAC also continued its fruitful cooperation with the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia (Tverskaya XXI Lecture Hall). The Council organizes monthly lectures on pressing issues in international relations. The events attracted significant interest from the expert community and the general public alike. The latest season of lectures at the museum kicked off in September. The International Affairs journal continues to act as the information partner for the lecture series.

Building on the successful experience of recent years, in November and December, RIAC took part in the XX International Book Fair of Intellectual Literature non/fictio№. Over 1000 people stopped by the RIAC stand during the five days of the event, where they could take a look at some of the Council’s publications and learn more about its work. RIAC also presented its new publishing program, as well as its internet resources and media projects at non/fictio№.

RIAC continued the practice of hosting webinars on a wide range of international affairs in 2018. The webinar format allows visitors to the RIAC website to listen to expert lectures no matter what city or country they happen to be in. What is more, the majority of RIAC’s public events are broadcast on its website.


56


The Nationwide Contest for Young Foreign Affairs Journalists was inaugurated in 2012 by the Russian International Affairs Council in conjunction with the Russian Union of Journalists and the International Affairs magazine. The competition is open to full-time and freelance journalists of Russian print and online media who are under 35 years of age.

JOURNALISM COMPETITION

On February 21, RIAC presented the results of the VI Annual Nationwide Contest for Young Foreign Affairs Journalists, which had a record number of entrants this year. A total of 228 papers were received, 169 of which were accepted for consideration. The growing popularity of the contest demonstrates that, in the seven years since it was established, it has gained a foothold as one of the leading tools for discovering new talents in the field of international journalism.

The latest edition of the Contest was launched in July. The information partners for the project are the Gazeta.ru internet news portal and the Expert media holding. The School of Future International Relations Experts at the National

Research University Higher School of Economics also acts as a partner for the Contest. As part of their cooperation efforts, RIAC and the School of Future International Relations Experts have launched a joint educational program for students in the 10th and 11th grades at school. Under the program, past Winners of the Nationwide Contest for Young Foreign Affairs Journalists and other representatives of leading Russian publications visit the school to give lectures about journalism as profession. The first lecture was given by Kommersant special correspondent Vladimir Solovyov on “How to Make a Career in International Journalism.”

BEST ANALYTICAL ARTICLE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:Dmitry Okrest — “How ISIS became a Bona Fide Media Empire of Evil” (GQ)

BEST INTERVIEW ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:Galina Dudina — “We Do Not See Reciprocity or a Readiness for Dialogue / Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland talks to Kommersant about How Warsaw is Trying to Improve Relations with Moscow” (Kommersant)

BEST REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Aleksandr Rybin — “The Iraqi Exodus” (Russky Reporter)

Lyudmila Belozerskikh — “The Neighbour Behind the Wall, or Double Dutch” (Pervaya Liniya Information and Education Portal)

BEST PHOTOGRAPH ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Nikita Perfilyev — “Photos Taken at Euromaidan (an Event that Altered the Fate of an Entire Nation)” (Ridus Information Agency)

NOVICE FOREIGN AFFAIRS JOURNALIST:Ilya Vedeneyev — “The Dialectics of Betrayal” (Voennoye obozrenie)

Marina Starodubtseva — “The Struggle for a Global Alternative” (Rosbalt Information Agency)

NUMBER OF PAPERS SUBMITTED:

228

NUMBER OF FEMALE

APPLICANTS

50%(В 2016 Г. – 48%)

NUMBER OF MALE

APPLICANTS

50%(В 2016 Г. – 52%)

MOSCOW

50%(84 PAPERS)

ST. PETERSBURG

7%(12 PAPERS)

NUMBER OF PAPERS ACCEPTED FOR CONSIDERATION:

169OF THE PAPERS ACCEPTED:

PAPERS WERE ALSO RECEIVED FROM FRANCE, GERMANY, JAPAN, KYRGYZSTAN, SPAIN, SWITZERLAND, THAILAND, TURKEY, UKRAINE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.

(THE YOUNGEST ENTRANT IN THE COMPETITION WAS 16 YEARS OLD)

STATISTICS

(В 2016 Г. – 46) +56% (В 2016 Г. – 105)+61%

YEKATERINBURG / SARATOV

3%(5 PAPERS EACH)

KURSK

2%(4 PAPERS)

58

In 2018, the Russian International Affairs Council consolidated its position as one of the most respected sources of information on international relations. RIAC consistently places among the leaders in the Medialogia ranking of expert think tanks and holds regular round tables at the Rossiya Segodnya press centre, in which the Council’s partners leading experts take part.

RIAC saw an increase in its citation rate in 2018, with a total of 4673 references in the media this year, up 15 per cent from 2017. At the same time, the number of reports specifically about the activities of the Russian International Affairs Council also increased.

RIAC has established partner relations with a number of leading Russian internet media. In 2018, projects were either launched or continued with Gazeta.ru, Expert.Online, the International Affairs magazine, the education portal “What was to be Demonstrated” and the educational and awareness building project Laba.Media. Articles and analytical pieces by RIAC experts are frequently published in Kommersant, Rossiyskaya gazeta, RBC, Nezavisimaya gazeta, The Moscow Times and on the Lenta.ru website. RIAC also develops cooperation with leading Russian news agencies: Rossiya Segodnya, TASS, Interfax and Sputnik. In addition, the Russian International Affairs Council collaborates with popular media outlets from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, France, Germany, Austria and other countries. RIAC experts regularly appear on leading Russian and international television to give their take on international affairs issues.

RIAC IN THE MEDIA

03ANNUAL REPORT 2018

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018

60


v

The RIAC website is Russia’s most visited analytical internet resource on international affairs. The website publishes between 10 and 15 expert opinions daily on burning issues in world politics in Russian and English.

RIAC developed a new format for its service platform for the professional community in 2018, attracting 50% more visitors to the site than in 2017. Over 3 million people visited the site in 2018.

RUSSIANCOUNCIL.RU

AVERAGE MONTHLY TRAFFIC IN 2018:

252 000PEOPLE

GENDER

57 % 43 %

AGE

MAINSOURCES OF TRAFFIC

< 18

18–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

> 55

Search engines

Social media and messenger services

Links or bookmarks

Other websites

Other

38 % 27 %31 % 2 % 2 %

04 THE RIAC WEBSITE

35%

2%10%

23%

12%

16%

TOP 10 COUNTRIES BY NUMBER OF VISITORS

RussiaUnited StatesChinaFranceKazakhstan

UkraineGermanyUnited Kingdom BelarusArmenia

12345

6789

10

BY LOCATION

Russia59,1 %

Africa0,6 %

Western Asia4,3 %

Australia and Oceania

0,4 %

Western Europe

6,4 %

Northern Europe

3,4 %

East Asia2,5 %

South andCentral America and the Caribbean

1,2 %

Southern Europe

1,9 %

South Asia1,7 % Central Asia

3,4 %

North America

6,6 %Eastern Europe

7,3

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Events

Analysis

Publications

Subsidies

Membership fees

Commercial activities

Donations

05 FINANCIAL INDICATORS

62

130,188,000 roubles

SPENDING BY PROGRAMACTIVITY IN 2018

2018 BUDGET:

6464

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Documents

GENERAL INFORMATION 4 RIAC PROGRAM ACTIVITIES 16 RIAC … · 2019. 2. 11. · 9 ANNUAL REPORT 2018 8 R Interna A C RIAC MEMBERS 01 Eugene Abov Deputy Director General of Federal State