The future of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was discussed at the 119th Autumn Session of the “Trialogue” Club International

MOSCOW. OCTOBER 17, 2023. PIR PRESS. “To test or not to test? That’s the question… Asked candid questions… Got frank answers…,” — Dr. Vladimir Orlov, Founding President of the Trialogue Club International, Founding Director of PIR Center, Professor at MGIMO University*.

On October 17, 2023, the 119th Autumn Session of the Trialogue Club International took place in Moscow. The agenda of the Session was formulated as follows “To Test, or Not to Test. That Is the Question”.

Dr. Vladimir Orlov, Founding President of the Trialogue Club International, Founding Director of PIR Center, Professor at MGIMO University, delivered welcoming remarks. During the speech, Dr. Vladimir Orlov shared his views on the issue’s relevance to the international community.

The Session was held in the panel discussion format. Mr. Dmitry Stefanovich, Research Fellow at the Center for International Security, IMEMO RAS; Member of PIR Center Advisory Board, addressed the Session as a keynote speaker. Dr. Dmitry Evstafiev, Professor of the Faculty of Creative Industries, Institute of Media, HSE University, made expert comments. The Session was co-moderated by the Club Co-Chairs Gen. Evgeny Buzhinskiy, Chairman of PIR Center Executive Board, who also shared his opinion on the discussed agenda, and Dr. Elena Chernenko, Special Correspondent of the Kommersant Daily, Member of PIR Center Executive Board.

After the main speech, a traditional Q&A session took place, during which the participants had an opportunity to raise questions on the most pressing issues of the agenda, clarify the details, and also share their own comments. The theses announced provided a starting point for a heated discussion. In particular, independent expert Igor Vishnevetsky and representatives of the Embassies of Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore to Russia shared their views on the agenda of the Session.

About 50 people attended the Session, more than 20 of whom are permanent members of the Trialogue Club International. Among them are representatives of the Embassies of Austria, Finland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA to Russia, the International Committee of the Red Cross Delegation in Moscow. The list of special guests included representatives of the Embassies of Argentina, Brazil, India, Norway, the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Mozambique, Spain in Russia, the Delegation of the European Union to Russia, as well as independent experts and analysts.

As always, the meeting of the Trialogue Club International was held under Chatham House rules. Following the Session, the Club members and special guests were invited to an informal reception, in the course of which the participants of the meeting were provided an opportunity to discuss the key issues of international agenda in a freer format, exchange informal assessments, and share their views on several global and regional security issues.

*The source of the quote by Dr. Vladimir Orlov is his authorial Telegram channel Sobesednik-Na-Piru (In Russian).

If you need any further information about the Trialogue Club International, fees, terms, and conditions of membership, please contact the Club’s Executive Secretary Elena Karnaukhova by email: secretary@trialogue-club.ru. You can also find more detailed information about the Club on the website www.trialogue-club.ru

Key words: Trialogue Club

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