At a time when few politicians and think tanks are even asking the right questions, the focus of the 21st Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, held on Nov. 4-7 in Sochi, Russia, is refreshing. According to the Club’s website, the title of this year’s event is “Lasting Peace on What Basis? Common Security and Equal Opportunities for Development in the 21st Century.” Closing remarks will be delivered on Nov. 7 by President Vladimir Putin, and a number of other prominent Russian officials will participate, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin, and Putin aide Ruslan Edelgeriev.
The focus of the meeting is described on the Club’s website: