16 October 2017
October 16th, within the framework of the World Festival of Youth and Students, the discussion panel dedicated to “Global Politics Agenda: How to Keep Peace” and organized by MGIMO was launched. The event gathered a thousand young people interested in the future of international relations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov visited the stand with an exhibition on MGIMO and spoke about the programs and extracurricular activities, as well as the history and traditions of the University.
Anatoly Torkunov acted as the moderator of a panel discussion on "Society and World Politics", while the program was opened by Sergey Lavrov. The Foreign Minister spoke about the situation in the modern world, characterized by frozen conflicts and new threats, and encouraged students to engage in a constructive dialogue which is something that unfortunately politicians have been incapable of doing recently on the international arena.
Former Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini underlined the importance of the UN and the need for Russia and the United States to work together to solve global problems. The Executive Director of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund Leonid Drachevsky emphasized the role played by civil society in the modern world and the need for a constant dialogue to solve pressing problems. Various experts went on to speak about human rights, Russia's position in the world today and the future of regional cooperation.
The panel was followed up by the opening of the First International Forum of Young Diplomats, during which Sergey Lavrov and Anatoly Torkunov spoke about the specificities of public service and the qualities needed for a successful career in diplomacy.
— See the MGIMO web-site for more photos and russian version
