Vladimir Putin spoke at the final plenary
session of the 16th meeting of the Valdai
International Discussion Club.
October
3, 2019
18:30
Sochi
Plenary session of the 16th meeting
of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
The session was attended by President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, King of Jordan Abdullah II, President
of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President
of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte.
* * *
Excerpts from the transcript
of the Valdai International Discussion Club session
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Your
Majesty King Abdullah, Mr Aliyev, Mr Tokaev, Mr Duterte, friends, ladies
and gentlemen,
I am pleased to welcome you all
in Sochi at the annual meeting of the Valdai Club.
According to tradition, on this platform, we try to put aside
current political problems, even diplomatic discussions, and strive
to discuss the long-term perspective in a historical,
cultural and philosophical context and to look into
the future and outline it.
This time, the hosts have come up with
a truly inexhaustible and, I would say, fascinating topic which is
the East and the role of Asia as the world’s
largest and most populated region. Relations between Russia
and the Asian states, which have always been of particular
importance to us, I believe, are of interest to everyone.
The nature of Russia’s relations with Asia is dictated not only
by today's realities, but by history as well.
India and China, Egypt and Iran, Turkey
and Japan, the countries of Central and Southeast Asia are
heirs to great ancient civilisations, which gave humankind unique
knowledge and technology, as well as discoveries
in medicine, mathematics, culture and the arts.
Asia has always aroused special feelings among
intellectuals and creative people, it seemed a little mysterious
and mystical, and was considered a source of spiritual
strength and wisdom, perhaps not always fully understood, but invariably
interesting.
In Russia, the bright colours
of the East inspired many of our writers, poets, artists
and musicians, specifically Pushkin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Arsenyev,
Vereshchagin, Kandinsky and Roerich. The Russian people, and not
only Russians, know these names.
Today, Asia, throughout its vast reach from
the Maghreb and the Middle East all the way to East
and Southeast Asia, is regaining its natural place in international
affairs, which is commensurate with its great heritage and today's
undoubtedly vast and growing potential.
