Council for Foreign and Defense Policy

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The Council for Foreign and Defense Policy (CFDP, SVOP) (Template:Lang-ru) is a Russian Think Tank. It was formed on February 25, 1992.[1][2][3] It has been called the "leading public foreign policy organization" for Russia.[4]

Russian President Vladimir Putin regularly participates in the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy discussion club "Valdai".[5][6][7]

Activities

The most important forms of day-to-day activities of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy are regular and informal meetings of Council members; holding conferences, seminars and discussion meetings; organization of research projects; informational, educational and lobbying activities. During its existence, the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy has implemented a number of projects. Priority among them were such, in particular, programs: "Strategy for Russia", "Russia-Belarus", "Russia-Ukraine", "Russia-Baltic", "Russia and the World", "Military Reform", "Russia- NATO”, “Russia and the EU”, “Russian-American Dialogue”, “Russia-Japan”.

The Council for Foreign and Defense Policy carries out its activities in close cooperation with a number of parliamentary and government bodies, such as the Committees of the State Duma of the Russian Federation on international affairs, on defense; Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, other power ministries and departments, Ministry of the Russian Federation for Atomic Energy; with academic institutions, primarily with the Institute of Europe and IMEMO RAS. SVOP also develops contacts with a number of leading foreign government and private organizations.

An important component of the Council's activity is the formation of mostly horizontal informal ties between its members and civil society groups and organizations, support by members of the SVOP of mutually beneficial undertakings.

Projects

Name Link Description
Strategy for Russia [6] The project is a research, discussion and publication of a series of reports on national interests, security issues and development strategy of Russia in modern conditions.
Military construction [7] The project was originally called "Military reform"; then received the name "Military construction and modernization of the armed forces." The project is dedicated to the study of the situation in the armed forces and the military-industrial complex, the recommendations developed relate to the main directions and ways of building a new army for the new Russia.
Valdai International Discussion Club [8] The Club was established in 2004 by the Russian Agency for International Information RIA Novosti and the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy together with Russia Profile and Russia in Global Affairs magazines [1] and The Moscow News Moscow News . The club brings together leading foreign and Russian experts in the field of political science, economics, history and international relations. The goal of the Club is to strengthen and develop the dialogue between Russian and foreign scientists, politicians and journalists; promotion of an independent, objective analysis of political, economic and social processes in Russia and in the world.
World Political Economy Club [9] The Expert and Educational Club was created as a joint project of the National Research University Higher School of Economics National Research University Higher School of Economics , the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and the Russia in Global Affairs magazine in September 2006. The work of the Club in the first years was carried out with the support of OJSC "Lukoil" Lukoil .

The main task of the Club is the formation of an authoritative expert platform, combined with a very popular in Russia (and still missing) "school of young internationals".

The club operates under the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics of the National Research University Higher School of Economics on the basis of its leading departments - the Department of World Politics and the Department of World Economy - with the participation of all other departments of the faculty, as well as other faculties of the University. Its permanent members are professors of the University, well-known Russian politicians and experts, and its non-permanent members are the most capable students and postgraduates of the University.

Russia and Europe [10] Conducting a series of international conferences to assess the prospects for cooperation between Russia and the EU countries, the creation of a new security system in Europe.
Russia-USA [11] Holding regular meetings with representatives of American non-governmental organizations in order to maintain a serious informal dialogue between statesmen and political leaders, representatives of academia and business communities, journalists from Russia and the USA to develop recommendations for the societies and governments of the two countries to ensure the stability and continuity of bilateral relations.
Russia and the CIS [12] This project combines the programs "Russia-Ukraine" and "Russia-Belarus" carried out in different years. Within the framework of the project, in addition to conducting research and publishing reports, a large number of bilateral and multilateral meetings were held with the participation of representatives of non-governmental organizations, academic circles, business communities, the media and government agencies of the states of the former USSR.

The Russian-Ukrainian part of the project was held in the form of a series of regular confidential bilateral meetings in Moscow and Kyiv, designed to promote the development of mutual understanding, personal contacts and maintaining working relations between leading politicians, businessmen, scientists, cultural figures of the two countries.

The main partners of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy from the Ukrainian side were the International Institute for Global and Regional Security (MIGIRB, Kiev) and the Razumkov Center (Kiev).

The Russian-Belarusian part of the project took place in the form of regular bilateral seminars in Moscow, designed to promote the normal development of relations between the two countries and societies, the formation of the Union State, the development of mutual understanding and personal contacts between leading public figures, businessmen, scientists, cultural figures of the two countries, as well as ensuring the realization of human rights in Belarus.

Russia and the Baltics Issues of relations between Russia and the Baltic states of the former USSR were discussed at a series of international conferences organized by the Council together with non-governmental organizations of the Baltic states, primarily with the Baltic Forum (Riga, Latvia).

Representatives of the Baltic countries and EU member states took part in the conferences and discussions of reports prepared for these meetings.

Russia and Asia [14] Holding a series of bilateral and multilateral international conferences to assess the prospects for cooperation between Russia and Asian countries, the creation of a new security system in the Asia-Pacific region.
Russia-NATO [15] Conducting a series of seminars and meetings, including within the framework of the Russia and NATO program jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, to assess the prospects for cooperation between Russia and NATO countries, the implementation of the Partnership for Peace program, problems and consequences of NATO expansion, creation of a new security system in Europe. Within the framework of the project, a number of meetings were held with the leadership of NATO and the abstracts of the report of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy "Russia and NATO" were published (June 1995)
Russia and globalization [16] Organization of research and preparation of a series of analytical materials on the problems of globalization and the significance of this process for the future of Russia, as well as the publication in Russia of a scientific and practical journal on the problems of globalization (magazine "Russia in Global Affairs").
Russia and the World [9] Conducting research and preparing a series of analytical materials on various aspects of the perception of the new, post-Soviet Russia abroad. The goal of the program is to counter the negative wave of unreliable information about Russia with objective information, and, most importantly, to start involving Western political institutions in a constructive dialogue on "sore" issues.

Ranking

In 2017 the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program's, Global Go To Think Tank Index (GGTTI) ranking of think tanks, the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy is in a number of "sub-lists":

  • 41st out of 135 under Top Foreign Policy and International Affairs Think Tanks.
  • 58th of 110 under Top Think Tank by Area Research.[8][3]
  • 24th out of 75 "Best Government Affiliated Think Tanks"
  • 107th out of 150 "Best Independent Think Tanks"[9][3]

Publications

Chairman of the Presidium

Notes

Template:Reflist

External Links

Category:Think tanks based in Russia

Category:Organizations established in 1992
  1. Russia in Foreign Affairs
  2. Military Thought, Volume 23
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Carolina Vendil Pallin and Susanne Oxenstierna. (August 2017). Russian Think Tanks and Soft Power.
  4. Dangerous drift : Russia's Middle East Policy by Eugene B. Rumer. 2000.
  5. Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club
  6. Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club
  7. Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club
  8. McGann, James G. (2017) 2016 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP), University of Pennsylvania, 1-26-2017, http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=think_tan Pages 72, 84.
  9. McGann, James G. (2017) 2016 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP), University of Pennsylvania, 1-26-2017, Pages 106, 144.
  10. Openlibrary.Org
  11. Cold War Déjà Vu?: NATO, Russia and the Crisis in Ukraine NATO Defense College
  12. The “Rise” of China in the Eyes of Russia: A Source of Threats or New Opportunities? Connections. The Quarterly Journal. Winter 2014