The Jubilee "Primakov Readings" Brought Together Leading Experts from 30 Countries

The 10th International Scientific and Expert Forum "Primakov Readings" concluded in Moscow, which took place on June 25-26 at the World Trade Center. More than 50 leading specialists in global politics, economics, and security from 30 countries gathered to discuss Russia's place in the global context.

Over the course of two days, experts discussed a wide range of topics related to global security issues: the role of BRICS in the new world architecture, vectors of interaction in the Eurasian space, arms control problems, and the Ukrainian crisis. According to session participants, the world has entered a phase of serious international turbulence, where dialogue on arms control has practically halted, and the Euro-Atlantic security project has failed to materialize. Under these conditions, the question of forming the contours of a new type of collective security - Eurasian - arises acutely.

A separate session was dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Yevgeny Primakov's birth. During this session, experts who personally knew the academician shared their memories of him and expressed opinions on the significance of his legacy in the 21st century. Among them were Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Alexander Dynkin, President of IMEMO RAS; Anatoly Torkunov, Rector of MGIMO; and Svetlana Sharenkova, Chairman of the Bulgaria-Russia Forum.

Traditionally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the forum. The head of Russian diplomacy provided a comprehensive assessment of the current international situation, characterized Russia's approaches to key global and regional problems, and emphasized the importance of Yevgeny Primakov's intellectual legacy for shaping the country's foreign policy course.

"The current situation on the world stage fully confirms the correctness of Yevgeny Primakov. Before our eyes, the contours of a more just, multipolar, polycentric architecture are being formed. This objective process has noticeably accelerated with the start of the special military operation in Ukraine in 2022. At the heart of the emergence of multipolarity is the desire of peoples to ensure their rights, to recognize the cultural and civilizational diversity of the modern world. This is associated with trends in strengthening the positions in the economy and geopolitics of the states of the Global South, Global East, and the World Majority as a whole," the Minister emphasized.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexey Overchuk also spoke at a special session, focusing on the importance of Eurasian integration. The expert expressed confidence that the EAEU can become a powerful and self-sufficient center of the multipolar world, providing member countries with opportunities for economic growth through the development of export potential and access to new markets.

The forum concluded with a discussion on the importance of culture in international relations, featuring Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation; Feng Litao, Cultural Counselor-Envoy of the Chinese Embassy in Russia; Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage Museum; and Jyoti Malhotra, Editor-in-Chief of "The Tribune" newspaper (India).

"Belonging to world culture is not just a philosophical thing, it's a recipe for salvation. You can do anything with your own culture, but not with the world's. Russian culture cannot be canceled not because it is so good, but because it has become part of world culture," emphasized Mikhail Piotrovsky.

The jubilee "Primakov Readings" were attended by more than 1,000 representatives of the Russian and foreign scientific and expert community, government bodies, political and business circles. Among the participants were Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Finland, Oman, Serbia, as well as Advisors and representatives of the Embassies of Brazil, Argentina, France, Belarus, Cuba, the Republic of Korea, and Nigeria. The event was covered by more than 170 representatives of federal, regional, and foreign media outlets.