The program of the two-day event was centered around the discussions on the consequences of regional conflicts, the situation in the Middle East, global order scenarios, and barriers to global trade and investment, international competition in the sphere of artificial intelligence.
The grand opening of the Forum featured a welcoming speech by the Aide to the President of the , Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the , and the President of Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the (IMEMO), Full Member of the .
Yuri Ushakov addressed the participants of the Forum: “The reality is what it is, and we cannot ignore it: the so‑called collective West, which still plays a significant role on the world stage, is doing everything it can to replace the international order that was established after the Second World War with its own ‘rules‑based order’. These are rules designed for themselves and arbitrarily interpreted solely for the benefit of their own vested interests and motives.”
According to Yuri Ushakov, power confrontation between multipolarity, on the one hand, and the rules‑based order, on the other, will not only continue but also intensify. He read out address from President Vladimir Putin.
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The Forum’s working sessions began with thePanel Discussion “Global Ramifications of Regional Conflicts”. The session participants discussed the impact of regional conflicts on global politics and economy, as well as the risks of further internationaltensions’ escalation. At the heart of the discussion were the consequences of crises in the Middle East and other regions, the likelihood of new global confrontation fault lines, the prospects of an inclusive security system in Eurasia, and the impact of geopolitical instability on the world economy. The experts also examined the transformation of the international order, the growth of domestic political polarisation in Western countries, and the role of leading powers in preventing further fragmentation of the global system. The session was chaired by Alexander Dynkin, Academician and President of Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO).
“The history of the last 200-plus years shows that every new world order is shaped by the winners of another major war. This was the case after the Napoleonic Wars, the First World War, and the Second World War. It was also the case after the Cold War, when a unipolar world emerged. The dramatic, structural break with the past lies in the existence of nuclear weapons. Therefore, the existential challenge today is to shape the contours of the future world order without passing the point of no return,” noted Alexander Dynkin.
Feodor Voitolovsky, Director of IMEMO and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, addressed the root causes of global consequences the world is currently facing and raised the topic of economic and technological competition: “This process will be a long one, as the parties are testing each other’s resolve. We are witnessing it in a particularly acute form in the course of theUkrainian conflict. And, of course, this is not a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the collective West. Ukraine is, on the one hand, a proxy used by the West, and, on the other, a platform where, unfortunately, this conflict is unfolding. As in the confrontation between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other, we see that the parties are testing each other’s limits.”
The second session of the Forum was devoted to the influence of internal political processes in the United States on their foreign policy. Experts examined the consequences of the political transformation under Donald Trump’s presidency, the deepening divide between Republicans and Democrats, as well as the influence of partisan and institutional competition on Washington’s international strategy. Particular attention was paid to the prospects for US foreign policy after the administration and the way American domestic political dynamics affects their relations with allies, rivals, and major global powers.
The closing session of the first day of the Forum titled “Middle East: Peace Beyond Reach?”was focused on the regional security prospects, the role of external and regional actors in crisis settlement, and the consequences of the changing balance of power in the region.The experts also examined the rising significance of Middle Eastern countries’ cooperation with Russia, China, India, and other non‑Western powers as one of the factors in shaping new approaches to ensuring the region’s security and sustainable development.
Mohamed Ali Chihi, Executive Director of Global Institute for Strategic Research (GISR), Qatar, spoke on the future of the Middle East: “Regarding the future security of the region, we observe a shift away from the unipolar world dominated by the United States towards a rather complex and fragmented world — and that’s the environment our region will exist in.”
“We are witnessing new relations and cooperation between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, and we may well see other Gulf countries joining this architecture of interaction. From my perspective, the region truly needs an inclusive system of collective security. This is not about creating a structure similar to NATO or other similar organisations. At least, this way we will have a security architecture tailored to the specific conditions of our region,” Mohamed Ali Chihi added.
The second working day of the opened with a session devoted to future scenarios for the world order by the middle of the 21st century. The session was moderated by Dmitry Peskov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and Secretary. Speaking at the event, he noted: “It is evident that the system of international relations, international organisations led by the UN, the and its ability to address pressing issues, the foundations of the international economic order, and even the main reserve currency -they are all are undergoing complete devaluation. We see a clear trend towards a reduction in the share of the main reserve currency, as the issuing country is trying to impose its own rules — and other nations simply do not accept this.”
Samir Saran, President of theObserver Research Foundation, stated his position on India’s role in shaping future development scenarios: “In the competition between China and the United States, Russia and India are very significant in preserving the balance. India will play a very important role in the pluralistic compass and the civilizational future, and in a world facing challenges related to commodities, climate change, and other development issues.”
A key event of the Forum’s second day was the address by Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
“Participation in this Forum is, in a sense, a tribute to Yevgeny Maksimovich Primakov, to his outstanding personality, his rich creative legacy, and to his ideas, which remain fully relevant to our work today <…> It has been noted on numerous occasions, including from this very podium, that as early as the mid‑1990s — when the West was anticipating an era of its own global dominance — Yevgeny Primakov not only discerned, foresaw, and articulated the imminent emergence of a multipolar world, but also began to turn the ship of Russian foreign policy towards a nascent, more just polycentric international order,” Lavrovnoted.
The fifth session of the Forum was devoted to the key challenges for global trade and investment amid rising geo‑economic tensions. Central to the discussion were the consequences of trade and technology wars, sanctions policies, protectionist measures, and the transformation of global value chains. Experts looked at the prospects for international economic cooperation, the role of developing countries and their associations — including BRICS — as well as possible mechanisms for maintaining sustainable trade and investment cooperation in the context the weakening global institutions.
In his speech, Liao Fan, Director General of the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) noted:“At present, global trade and investment are facing a large number of obstacles, risks, and uncertainties. Unilateralism and protectionist measures are undermining the well‑being of people around the world. <…> We advocate the promotion of a new form of economic globalisation. This is a universal globalisation that must be inclusive. In other words, the global economic governance system should be in line with and respect the development autonomy of each state.”
Lee Siwook, the President of Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), South Korea noted in turn: “The danger lies in the fact that the world order is undergoing transformation, competition is intensifying, and this process may reach a point where it becomes impossible to reverse it. <…> “Instead of talking about the irreversibility of this process, we must understand how to address these issues. Decision‑makers and the public should recognise that the lack of opportunity for cooperation doesn’t have to be an inevitable process, as we must foster the conviction that we can still reverse the course.”
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