Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Moscow, September 2015
On 24 September, 2015 the Russian version of SIPRI Yearbook 2014 ‘Armaments, Disarmament and International Security’, including the Special Supplement compiled by experts of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO RAN) was presented at the Institute in Moscow.
Speaking at the opening of the presentation, the Head of the Center for International Security of IMEMO RAN, Alexey G. Arbatov conveyed the greetings and the high assessment of the joint project from the Director of IMEMO RAN, Alexander A. Dynkin.
Alexey G. Arbatov pointed out the traditionally high professional level and the wide range of expert topics covered in the SIPRI Yearbook 2014. He emphasized the particular importance of the joint SIPRI and IMEMO RAN project, which has been successfully running since 1993, in the context of the current worsening Russian-Western relations. This particular project, which also incorporates the Special Supplement prepared by highly qualified experts of IMEMO RAN, has become one of the most important channels for obtaining information and highly professional analyses on arms control and security issues for a large number of Russian scholars, government officials, politicians and journalists. In conclusion, Alexey G. Arbatov thanked the editors, authors and participants of the project and expressed gratitude to the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports of Switzerland for its continuing support of this work.
Director of the Center for Situation Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences, one of the initiators of the joint project and currently a member of the SIPRI Governing Board, Vladimir Baranovsky, reminded the audience that the SIPRI Yearbook extends back for more than forty years, and the joint project for more than twenty. He underlined the relevance of the translated edition of the Yearbook for a wide circle of experts and politicians in Russia. The IMEMO-SIPRI joint project is of special importance nowadays when tensions in the international arena have considerably increased.
Vladimir Baranovsky pointed to the clear message of the Yearbook that the world is facing serious challenges in the sphere of international security while witnessing the collapse of the previous long-term positive dynamics. The next SIPRI Yearbook, which was published recently, re-iterates this warning even more clearly: whether Europe is returning to a concept of security based on traditional forms of power politics has become a legitimate and widespread question. Vladimir Baranovsky emphasized that these worrisome trends as well as possible ways of overcoming them deserve special attention of analysts.
Scientific Editor of the Russian translation of the SIPRI Yearbook, Head of Sector at IMEMO RAN, Sergey K. Oznobishchev, outlined the traditionally high informative and analytical level of the Yearbook. ‘The Yearbook has long been an especially valuable and highly professional source of information for the widest circles of specialists and interested public in Russia’, he said. ‘The IMEMO Special Supplement presenting the assessments of the Institute’s leading experts adds value to the existing Yearbook content and enlarges the range of opinions and views on some of the most acute modern issues in international security and arms control’, Oznobishchev added.
The discussion featured Natalia I. Bubnova, Leading Researcher of the Center for International Security, IMEMO RAN; Efim L. Zhigun, Director of the Institute of Middle East Studies; Alexander N. Kalyadin, Chief Researcher of the Center for International Security, IMEMO RAN; Vladimir P. Kozin, Head of the Group of councilors, Russian Institute for Strategic Studies; Alexander I. Nikitin, Director of the Center for the Euro-Atlantic Security, MGIMO University; Vladimir I. Sazhin, Senior Researcher, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Viktor I. Yesin, Leading Researcher of the Institute for the US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, General-Colonel (ret).
The speakers touched upon some of the most urgent challenges and threats, important aspects of possible developing perspectives for modernizing and strengthening international security, characteristics of the current state of relations in this sphere, and specific features of its study and analysis.