On December 9, 2019, in London, RIAC held the third seminar as part of the bilateral Russia-UK security project. The project started in 2016 and in 2019 completes its fourth cycle. RIAC partner in the project is the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the oldest British non-governmental organization with headquarters in London. The seminar was devoted to the analysis of the activity of private military and security companies (PMSCs), including issues of legitimization and regulation of their activity.
On December 9, 2019, in London, RIAC held the third seminar as part of the bilateral Russia-UK security project. The project started in 2016 and in 2019 completes its fourth cycle. RIAC partner in the project is the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the oldest British non-governmental organization with headquarters in London. The seminar was devoted to the analysis of the activity of private military and security companies (PMSCs), including issues of legitimization and regulation of their activity.
Despite the differences in approaches to studying the activity of private military and security companies in Russia and the UK, the seminar participants agreed that the role of PMSCs is increasing both at the national and international levels, and the possible presence of PMSCs in war zones inevitably increases the risk of escalation. With a detailed study of demand and offer in PMSC activity, Russia and the UK will be able to find common points of interests and possible areas for cooperation on this issue.
The Russian side was represented by Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General, and RIAC experts: Ekaterina Stepanova (IMEMO RAS), Alexander Nikitin (MGIMO MFA of Russia), Andrey Frolov (Eksport Vooruzheniy (Arms Export) magazine), Anton Baev (Dozhd), Georgy Asatryan (RIAC and Valdai Club), Vladislav Terentyev (Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping), Tatyana Bogdasarova (RIAC).
RUSI experts and staff, as well as leaders and representatives of PMCs in the UK, participated in the seminar on the British side.
The final workshop of the fourth cycle of the project will be held in Moscow on January 20, 2020.