“The exchange of letters between presidents is an important step, but merely the first one on the path to normalize relations. The exchange must be followed up by practical measures. At a minimum, we must go beyond state documents and give a green light to activate contacts on all levels. This will make it possible for concrete, effective joint projects to crystallize,” – PIR Center Vice President Dmitry Polikanov

“Persian Gulf states’ plans for development are ambitious. However, they also run into a rising arc of instability around the region and extremely high political risks within the region itself. Today, a number of Gulf monarchies are choosing to project their strength – financial and military – outside the region, hoping to place sources of the current instability under their control. Inside the region, there is a focus on increasing military spending and acquiring the latest military technology, both defensive and offensive. Such steps create merely an illusion of stability in the short term, but they cannot provide stability in the long term,” – PIR Center President Vladimir Orlov