Russia's Reassertion in the Asia-Pacific
Date: July 14th & 16th, 2020 Times: 15:00 CEST / 09:00 EST & 21:00 CEST / 09:00 HST Platform: Cisco Webex Events Co-hosted by: Russia Strategic Initiative and Chatham House
Link to Video Recording
July 14th
1500: Link to Video Recording Recording Password: CJeGbFJK633
2100: Link to Video Recording Recording Password: dMMC9dQZj57
July 16th
1500: Link to Video Recording Recording Password: 2PsNf9PACt3
2100: Link to Video Recording Recording Password: GcHgiJ7md58
Connection Instructions
Webex can be viewed either in a browser or by downloading the application.
Format
Each panelist presented for approximately 20 minutes followed by 45 minutes of Q&A.
Agenda
July 14th: Russia's Diplomatic, Soft Power and Economic Policy Outreach in the Asia-Pacific
15:00-15:45 CEST / 09:00-09:45 EST & 21:00-21:45 CEST / 09:00-09:45 HST
Key questions addressed:
- Was/is Moscow's 'pivot' to Asia real?
- What are Russia's real non-military interests in the Asia-Pacific?
- What are the Kremlin's objectives in the region: geopolitical balancing, undermining US influence, etc.?
- Relations with China: flourishing to the extent we should worry, or doomed?
15:45-16:30 CEST / 09:45-10:30 EST & 21:45-22:30 CEST / 09:45-10:30 HST Question and Answer Session
July 16th: Russia's Defence and Security Posture in the Asia-Pacific
15:00-15:45 CEST / 09:00-09:45 EST & 21:00-21:45 CEST / 09:00-09:45 HST
Key questions addressed:
- How should we assess Russia's current power projection and military posture? (notably towards US deployments, Japan and Kuril Islands, etc.)
- What does Moscow claim its national security interests are in the Asia-Pacific? (Arctic, Russian Far East, Chinese inroads, etc.). To what extent can they be considered legitimate?
- What is Russia's role in regional security architecture?
- How worried do we need to be? Is this a first-order problem? Can anything be done?
15:45-16:30 CEST / 09:45-10:30 EST & 21:45-22:30 CEST / 09:45-10:30 HST Question and Answer Session
Panelists
Bobo Lo, Ph.D.
Title: Independent Analyst; Associate Research Fellow Affiliation: Russia/NIS Center, French Institute for International Relations (IFRI)
Bobo Lo specializes in Russian foreign and security policy, with a focus on Sino-Russian relations. He was previously Head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Moscow. He is the author of Russia and the New World Disorder and A Wary Embrace: What the China-Russia Relationship Means for the World. He holds an M.A. from Oxford and a Ph.D. from Melbourne University.
Maria Shagina, Ph.D.
Title: CEES Postdoctoral Fellow Affiliation: Center for Eastern European Studies, University of Zurich
Maria Shagina was previously a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at Ritsumeikan University, Japan, and a visiting fellow at the Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies, University of Birmingham. She is also affiliated with the Geneva International Sanctions Network. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Lucerne, Switzerland.
Pavel Baev
Title: Research Professor Affiliation: Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
Pavel Baev specializes in Russian military reform, Russia's conflict management in the Caucasus and Central Asia, and energy interests in Russia's foreign and security policies. He has published extensively on Russian military posture, Russian-European relations, and peacekeeping. He has a weekly column in the Eurasia Daily Monitor and authors the blog Arctic Politics and Russia's Ambitions.
Mathieu Boulègue
Title: Research Fellow Affiliation: Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
Mathieu Boulègue specializes in Eurasian security and defense issues as well as Russia's domestic and foreign policy. Before joining Chatham House, he was director of Eurasian affairs at AESMA consultancy. He graduated from Sciences Po Toulouse and holds an M.A. in International Conflict Studies from King's College London.