On August 1st, a joint online roundtable was held between the Sharif Policy Research Institute and the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) following an invitation from RIAC. The discussion was titled “Russia and Iran: Approaches Towards Security and Economic Development in the South Caucasus.”

The main objective of this webinar was to examine Russia and Iran’s strategies regarding security and economic development in the South Caucasus. Key topics included regional dialogue frameworks, the role of external actors in the recent crises, the impact of trade corridors, and the rise of extremism in the region.

Distinguished experts from Russia and Iran shared insights and discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis during the event.

At the beginning of the session, Andrey Kortunov, Scientific Director of RIAC, and Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Emamian, co-founder of the Sharif Policy Research Institute, expressed their support for this type of think tank collaboration. They highlighted the importance of fostering dialogue between experts from Russia and Iran, particularly on critical issues like the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis. Both emphasized the need for continued collaboration through elite diplomacy, involving prominent think tanks from other regional countries.

The Russian International Affairs Council was established in 2009 by a presidential decree to contribute to strengthening Russia’s soft power. Its founders include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and the Interfax News Agency.