The Valdai International Discussion Club will hold its seventh regular conference from August 31 through September 7, which will focus on the topic “Russia: History and Future Development.”

At the turn of a new decade, Russia is again trying to decide which development path to follow. Analysts suggest that the well-used model based on the country’s natural resources is sputtering out, but it still remains to be decided what path to modernization Russia will take – an inner one or one assisted from outside, aimed at overhauling the economy or the entire society. The key to this issue should be Russian tradition, understanding it and adjusting it to the current conditions of world development.

The main part of the conference will be held on the way from St. Petersburg to the Kizhi and Valaam islands, which have the special energy of Russian history and spirit. During the three days of the conference, participants will discuss the concentration of power in Russia, the Russian experience of modernization, issues of Russia’s current geopolitical orientation and relations with neighboring countries.

“This will be a peculiar meeting,” says Sergei Karaganov, president of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy. “First, because of the list of participants that has never featured so many bright intellectuals despite the fact that meetings of the Valdai Club have always been on a very high intellectual level. Second, this will be Valdai’s longest meeting. We will be discussing issues for more than three days. Third, this Valdai meeting is dedicated to a very interesting topic – Russia’s history and future.”

Karaganov concludes: “The Valdai Club remains the major venue for the exchange of opinion and information between the intellectual elite of Russia and the world around us both in the West and in the East.”
This meeting of the Valdai Club will feature leading experts on Russian politics, economy and history from 15 European, North American and Asian countries, including such renowned experts on Russian history as Richard Pipes, Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, Geoffrey Hosking and others.

“The annual Valdai discussions in the past six years have provided a unique and invaluable window on Russia for foreign participants,” renowned U.S. expert on Russia Angela Stent said. “Quite simply, no other government that I know of provides a similar opportunity for foreign experts to travel, interact with professional colleagues and spend hours with the top leadership. The discussions have often been frank and constructive.”

After the discussions, conference participants will meet with top officials from the government, ministries and government bodies.

The Russian News and Information Agency RIA Novosti, the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, Russia Profile and Russia in Global Affairs magazines and The Moscow News newspaper have been holding annual meetings of the Valdai Discussion Club since 2004. The club’s mission is to create an international expert venue, where leading foreign experts on Russia can receive trusted and competent information on the country and society’s development from top federal and regional officials.