16th Asian Conference: Eurasia in a Fragmented World
Jointly organized by the Valdai Discussion Club and the Ankara Institute, the 16th Asian Conference will be held in Istanbul on 10–11 November 2025. For the first time, the Valdai Forum will convene in Istanbul, with the Ankara Institute serving as co-host. Under the theme “Eurasia in a Fragmented World,” the conference will bring together diplomats, academics, think-tank representatives, and members of the media from various countries — including India, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye — to discuss the transformation of the global order, the new dynamics of regional geopolitics, and the strategic visions of Asia’s emerging actors.
The opening session will explore the strategic autonomy pursuits of middle powers amid growing geopolitical fragility. It will address how new forms of diplomacy and mediation — stretching from the Middle East to Asia — are shaping the roles of these countries in building a multipolar world order.
The main day of the conference will begin with the session titled “Global (Dis)Order and Eurasia,” which will examine the new power balances, alliances, and connectivity corridors that have emerged from the disintegration of the post-Cold War era. This discussion aims to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how Eurasia is becoming central to the future global order.
The second session, on “Türkiye, Russia, and the New Geopolitics of Eurasia,” will focus on the interaction among regional powers and the evolving patterns of cooperation in the fields of energy, defence, and technology.
After the lunch break, the session on “Transport and Infrastructure Connectivity” will highlight the economic and strategic importance of the north–south and east–west corridors that form the backbone of Eurasian integration. The emerging map of infrastructure — shaped by both competition and cooperation — defines the continent’s evolving geopolitical architecture.
Later in the day, the session titled “Regional Connectivity and Changing Orders” will analyse the emerging political and economic structures in the Middle East, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. It will explore new models of regional governance and the opportunities and challenges faced by local and external actors alike.
The final panel, “BRICS and the Global (Dis)Order,” will question whether the BRICS grouping can offer a new model of multilateralism at a time when existing international institutions are under strain. It will also assess how, despite internal differences, BRICS may contribute to the stability or transformation of the global system.
Over the course of two days, the discussions will aim to shed light on Eurasia’s future role, the limits of global governance, and the emergence of a new international architecture.
