Experts from over 20 countries discussed new challenges and ways to develop Russian-Latin American relations

Participants include representatives from about a dozen countries in the region, including Chile, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, as well as representatives from Asia and Europe. 

In his welcoming remarks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted that the Latin American region is currently on the agenda: the Russia-Latin America Parliamentary Conference was held in Moscow, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held nine meetings with representatives of Latin America and the Caribbean during the UN General Assembly. As a continuation of this Latin American agenda, Sergei Lavrov also addressed the participants of the Ibero-American Forum. 

‘Over the years, the Forum’s discussion format has become a platform that brings together experts, political scientists, diplomats, and representatives of political and business circles to address the most pressing issues in relations between Russia and the countries of the Ibero-American world. Such an open, depoliticised exchange of views is very much in demand today,’ said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

We are all witnesses to the tectonic shifts associated with the ongoing emergence of a fairer, multipolar world order. More and more countries and peoples are choosing the path of free, sovereign development based on national traditions and values. Russia will continue to support the strengthening of the international role of both individual Latin American and Caribbean countries and the region as a whole. I am confident that the Forum will make a significant contribution to strengthening trust and mutual understanding between the peoples of our countries.

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted that Latin American countries play an important role in strengthening the multipolar world and make it clear that the region is not "the United States’ backyard".

Today, as the modern world order gradually transforms before our eyes into a multipolar world, efforts to build constructive dialogue to strengthen trust and mutual understanding among peoples deserve respect and full support. And in the context of these dynamic changes, the contribution of the academic community to Latin American studies is particularly needed.

Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia

Opening the plenary session, Professor Lazar Jeifets of the SPbU noted that the Forum is the largest event in Russian Ibero-American Studies and one of the most important global scientific events in this field. He pointed out that today’s event is being held on the 20th anniversary of the Ibero-American Forums, and that among the guests are participants of the first Forum, held in 2003 under the title "St Petersburg: Window to Latin America". 

The plenary session continued with Dmitry Rosenthal, Acting Director of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In his presentation, he recalled the conditions of the left turn in Latin America in the 2000s and analysed today’s "left turn 2.0". The one criterion that united all leftist movements was the total desire for equality: economic, gender, ethnic — and control of the economy. At the moment, the driving force of the New Left is mainly the middle class, students, educated people, so there is a different agenda and an attempt to adopt Western ideas and approaches: the environmental agenda, the defence of human rights. ‘There is no doubt about it: We are seeing a clear left-wing wave in Latin America today. But today it is not feasible to talk about a left turn and a repetition of its marginal plan of the 2000s,’ summarised Dmitry Rozental. 

Victor Jeifetz, Professor of SPbU, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Latin America", spoke about the new challenges in Russian-Latin American relations. 

He noted that Russia is now actively cooperating with those Latin American countries that were not previously among its preferred partners. This is a very pragmatic policy, in which political and geopolitical motives have not disappeared, but in which the economic component plays a decisive role: the trade turnover between our countries has long exceeded the Soviet indicators. The development of Internet technology has changed the way information is communicated. In Latin America, unlike in Europe, we are heard, we are acknowledged, and we should take advantage of that. Russia has a unique opportunity to share its new technologies and new forms of cooperation. 

Victor Lazarevich pointed out that the Soviet Union was much more active in educating Latin American students. And although their number is now greater than it was a few years ago, it is still not comparable to the scale at Soviet universities.

Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, a few years from now, these people will head the ministries of foreign affairs, economy and construction, they will head universities. If we want our partners to have more people who study Russian, who understand what is happening in our country, who understand the mentality of Russians, we need to think about how to expand this cooperation.

Victor Jeifets, Professor of SPbU

The Forum continued with conferences. The experts discussed Russian and Latin American approaches to the formation of a multipolar world, interregional cooperation and the solution of international security problems, assessed the current state of humanitarian, educational and scientific-technical cooperation, as well as the prospects for Russian-Latin American cooperation in other regions of the world. 

During the plenary session, diplomas were awarded to the winners of the Ibero-American Young Researchers Competition, which is traditionally held as part of the Forum, and the winners of the 2022 competition for the best publications in the Sergo Mikoyan journal America Latina were honoured. Congratulating the winners, Lazar Jeifetz noted that six former students — winners of previous years’ competitions — are now working as teachers at the Faculty of International Relations. 

Traditionally, the Forum included events for young researchers of Latin America: sections for young researchers, the School of Young Latin Americanists, as well as some 70 round tables and meetings of thematic sections on the history, culture, economy and politics of Ibero-America, presentations of scientific publications, exhibitions, public lectures by leading academics, politicians and diplomats, and master classes. 

The cultural programme included exhibitions by the famous Cuban artist Omar Godinez and cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada. The Museum of Engravings from Mexico has prepared an exhibition entitled ‘Rius for "Dummies"’.