Carnegie Moscow Center
Russia’s approach to the Middle East is at a turning point, as the changes associated with the Arab Spring continue to destabilize regimes and alliances and Iran appears to be moving ahead with its nuclear program in defiance of Russia and the West.
The first session examined aspects of interethnic relations and nationalism before and after the Soviet collapse.
Two issues—military reform and interethnic relations in the Russian Federation—seem to have grabbed the most public attention since the Soviet collapse. They have had a big impact on Russia’s public and political life over the last twenty years, and affect the foundations for the country’s future development.
Since 2002, when the Justice and Development Party came to power in Turkey, domestic and international observers have found the party’s policies ambiguous at best, and they have questioned the country’s development path and the direction of Turkey’s foreign policy.
Dialogue, education, and an accepted role for religion in society are critical to countering the possible threat that religious radicalization could pose to state security in Central Asia.
As Russians consider possible development paths for the country, one option that could be explored is the possibility of restoring the monarchy, which is a strong part of Russian historical and political traditions.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in a time of momentous social and political change, including in Russia, but Russia’s development followed a different path than that of many Eastern European countries.
In 2010, the overall security situation in the North Caucasus was worse than in 2009, although statistics show an improvement in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
The choice of Sochi as the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics has prompted debate over the “Cherkessian issue,” sparking an upsurge in activity and division among Cherkessian public organizations.
In the Russian Orthodox Church’s worldview the nation is not paramount, but nationalism nonetheless is a significant side effect of the Church’s activities.