... United States and the European Union (but also China and even Gulf states), can bring to the region. Therefore, in most cases the Kremlin seeks a seat at the table, but it has no ambitions to chair the meeting unilaterally. This is the case with the Middle East Peace Process, where Russia remains one of the consistent champions of the Quartet format; this is also the case in Libya and in Afghanistan too. Participation rather than control gives Russia a say in many regional matters without imposing on Moscow the full responsibility for everything that happens in this or that corner of the region.
Syria stands out as a remarkable ...
... Wagner to the Russian government. Still, it is not a state endeavor and should not be considered as such. At the end, it is definitely private and not very impressive.
During the initial period of official engagement in Syria and the unofficial one in Libya, Russia faced several challenges that it learned to cope with, except for that of Turkey. Ankara became active in the Middle East some time ago, recently arriving in Eastern Mediterranean. This was probably something new for the “front-line” Mediterranean countries of Europe, but not for Russia. Russia had to deal with Turkey through all its recorded history. Nothing ...
Ivan Bocharov’s Interview for Ahval
Last month, Libya’s warring factions agreed on a joint administration to lead the country until elections scheduled for December. Abdul ... ... serve as the country’s President. Nicholas Morgan, journalist and analyst at Ahval, spoke with Ivan Bocharov, Referent at the Russian International Affairs Council, about the Libyan conflict.
Key points:
The selected candidates are largely political unknowns,...
...
On July 28, 2020, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) together with the Center for Political Research, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, with the support of the Embassy of Israel in Russia held a closed online seminar “Assessing the Middle East conflicts (Lebanon, Iraq and Libya). View from Russia and Israel”. The event was attended by leading experts and diplomats from Russia and Israel.
The seminar was divided into two sessions: "Political instability in Lebanon and Iraq: View from Russia and Israel" and "Libya: between ...
... developments will take and whether they will become a turning point. In any case (and here Russian and Western analysts agree), the statesmanship, competency and acumen of all... ... compromise. This “test” will be particularly relevant for those states in the greater Middle East that are involved in various conflicts and for their leaders, whose ambitions... ... of the crumbling, yet interconnected world.
“Old” internal conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen, new-type protest movements demanding a change of the ruling elites...
... economic trends on domestic politics; the influence of regional power struggles on unresolved conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Libya. In many ways, these dynamics are interconnected and feed into one another. However, evidence of increased contact with Russia by countries like Egypt and Jordan should be taken in the context of the US disengagement from the region, which began ... ... Furthermore, if the US administration announced the “long-awaited for the deal of the century", this would push many Middle Eastern countries which have no peace deal with Israel to reconcile and naturalise ties even if the Israeli-Palestinian ...
... divert attention away from the real problems and lack of agreement between the main players fighting for leadership in the Libyan issue. At the same time, the Russian approach assumes rather a tactical nature of interaction with various players on the Libyan settlement.
Russia's cautious engagement and maintained contacts
Andrey Kortunov:
The Future of the Middle East: Horizons of Challenges and Opportunities
Today, the situation in Libya is at an impasse. The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj is recognized by the international community in accordance with the UN-brokered ...
... to be done about Libya. Developments in Libya are a long way from promoting stabilization in North Africa. Whether siding with Khalifa Haftar or the Tripoli leaders, it is necessary to come to terms either way – I’m hoping this can be done with Russia’s mediation. I don’t believe in US mediation because the memories are too fresh. Even those who hated Muammar Gaddafi have to admit that under his rule Libya was the most prosperous country in the Middle East and North Africa. Given what was done to the Libyan leader, they are not ready to rush into the arms of the US regardless of their attitude to the former Libyan regime.
Third, it is necessary to avoid a conflict with Iran as far as this is ...
... come to a political compromise. In situations where conflicting sides are not yet ready for a political compromise (such as Libya, possibly), the priority for external players might be to work together to contain the conflict, preventing its spillover ... ... institutions, agencies and individuals dealing with both the security and development sides of the regional crisis.
Europe and Russia have more stakes in the Middle East than other global players, like the United States and China. They are much closer to the region than others, which ...
... East, most significant challenges and threats emanating from the region, possible mechanisms and sequencing of solutions to Middle East issues.
The discussion focuses on acute crises in Syria, Yemen, and Libya, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and potential instability in other countries of the region. Aleksandr Aksenyonok, RIAC Vice-President, and Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General, represent Russian side at the meeting.
