Toby T. Gati, Senior International Advisor, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld Group speaking during the Valdai discussion:

Question: What is your main impression about the meetings?

Answer: Coming to the Valdai meeting after an absence of a few years, I see a real evolution in the meetings and in the discussions. And most the evolution is positive. First of all, the number of countries that are represented has increased. And this means that the Valdai discussion is not only an opportunity to meet with Russian leaders; it is also a way for top scholars, journalists, and professionals to discuss issues among themselves.

For example, we had meetings with top officials – on Friday we had a meeting with the prime minister. Each person comes out thinking that they understand what he said. And somebody from another country - and it can be experts from a country that you don’t know well - and they say ‘Well, I heard something totally differently’.
And you realize that politics is really as much about what you say as about what you hear.

Question: So do you thinks it’s worth combining so different views, country representatives, etc.?

Answer: Absolutely. You can within the course of an hour talk about Russian-Chinese relations, Iranian-Russian relations, French-Russian relations, German-Russian relations and of course US-Russian relations. It’s like having the best of French, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese cooking all in one place.

So I think the Valdai club has developed from the beginning when it was principally a PR effort to present the best side of Russia. Now it has additional goals with much more sophisticated presentations and quite tough questioning by people with real knowledge of Russia.

Question: Does it make sense in terms of future decision-making processes in the countries that these experts represent?

Answer: Certainly it is helping to get current views on what’s happening in the country. In my country, for example, one year an academic may be teaching at an American university and the next year may be in the government. Those who participate in the meeting are indeed analyzing policy and also working on policy at a high level.

I know that many people here will go back and talk to their colleagues who work in official positions. The group here knows Russian and Soviet history and can separate serious answers from efforts at PR.