moscow

INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL STUDIES OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

On January 29, 2007, the Iran Branch of the Institute of Information Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences held a seminar session, where N. A. Filin, a graduate student of the Russian State University for the Humanities, made a report on " Elections to the Council of Experts and local Councils of the Islamic Republic of Iran (progress and results)".

The seminar was attended by employees of the Iran sector and other departments of the Institute, as well as V. I. Sazhin (Voice of Russia), G. P. Avdeev (State Duma of the Russian Federation), E. L. Zhigun (Institute of the Middle East), A.V. Korotaev, K. E. Kulikova, I. A. Tsaregorodtseva (all-RSUH) and others.

The topic of this presentation is the SE and local council elections held in Iran on December 15, 2006, and the assessment of the election campaign and election results. The report was based on personal impressions of N. A. Filin, who was in Iran during the election period and collected a large amount of material, including visual media (election posters, photos of the electoral process shown at the meeting) and interviews with direct election participants.

The speaker described the structure and functions of the Islamic councils, spoke about the electoral-territorial division of Iran and the pre-election legislation. He paid special attention to the main pre-election coalitions and their leaders. In his opinion, the specifics of power have a huge impact on the nature of political activity in Iran. Because of the traditional system of governance, when a person's family or friendship ties are more important than personal qualities for holding a high position, it is very difficult to identify all political groups within the ruling elite and their interaction with each other. In Iran, only parties with an Islamic ideology and groups of Shiite clergy that share the principles laid down in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran operate legally. In Iran, there is no inter-party struggle, which is common for Western countries. All party life is visible only during election campaigns. Many movements and parties are created for certain elections, and then cease to play any role in political life. The authorities use elections to let off steam among the population, so that later they can nullify the outbursts of public discontent. At the same time, there are a number of coalitions that have a real impact on the domestic political situation and the nature of elections. In many ways, they exist because of the authority of their leaders.

The speaker identified four pre-election coalitions, among which the main political struggle unfolded: reformers, pragmatists, moderate conservatives and radical conservatives. He noted that unlike the reformers, moderate conservatives and radicals had huge administrative and financial resources to conduct their election campaign. Pragmatists relied on the financial resources and authority of the President of the Assembly to determine the appropriateness of decisions taken by Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani.

Filin then focused on the forms of election campaigning in Tehran. Election leaflets of the main political coalitions were examined in detail, and electoral slogans were analyzed.

The speaker concluded that the Iranian political system is weak and relatively stable, as most of the main candidates did not position themselves as representatives of one political force, trying to join different political coalitions, and the coalitions themselves differentiated their support, including candidates with different political views.

As for the voting procedure, it was interesting that every resident of Iran, when voting, puts in the ballot box a list of names of candidates written on a letterhead with his own hand,

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the number of which depends on the number of members of a particular council. Also, each voter leaves his / her fingerprint in a special ballot, and his / her passport is stamped.

The speaker paid close attention to the election results. According to him, moderate conservatives in the new Council of Experts received about half of the supporters, "centrists" - 1/3, radical conservatives-1/6. The reformers got 4 seats.

A coalition of reformists and pragmatists won local council elections across the country. Out of 2,066 seats in the councils of the country's main cities (excluding the three provinces) they received 703 seats, or 39.9% of the total. The second place was taken by independent candidates, who took 509 seats, or 24.6%. The moderate Conservatives won 494 seats, or 23.9%. The Radical Conservatives won only 54 seats, or 2.6%.

In conclusion, Filin noted that the recent elections demonstrated the popularity of reformist ideas in Iranian society and the return of people's trust in the leader of pragmatists Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who was defeated in the presidential election a year ago. Also, according to the speaker, we can talk about the population's distrust of radical conservatives. N. A. Filin suggested that this may be due to the tough foreign policy and populist domestic policy of Iran, as well as the "extravagant" behavior of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

After the speech, the speaker answered the questions of those present.

When asked by V. P. Tsukanov what real influence the elected Council of Experts has on the country's politics and what significance the past elections had, N. A. Filin replied that apart from the election of a new leader of the country (rakhbar), the Council of Experts has very few powers, although the Mejlis and the Supervisory Board, before the adoption of any important law, very often they are consulted. But the SE cannot influence the parliament's decision on the constitution. One of the goals of the election was to probe public opinion about the credibility of the government.

To the question of the importance of local councils in the Iranian political system, asked by A. S. Fedorova, the speaker replied that they have some influence on the internal policy of Iran on the ground, as they redistribute part of the budget money.

Yu. L. Rubinchik was interested in whether the last elections were very different from the previous ones. Answer: the difference is significant. First, the reformers won the municipal council elections, which few expected, and, secondly, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani passed the SE with a very large margin over his pursuers. This is an indicator that people's attitudes towards it have changed dramatically over the past year.

N. M. Mammadova made additions to what was said by the speaker. She drew attention to the fact that in Iran there is no binding of the electoral law to parties. When the speaker spoke about the victory of the reformers, Mammadova stressed, he did not specify which of the groups that made up the reform coalition won in a particular region of Iran. This, in her opinion, is very important, since the reform spectrum is heterogeneous. However, Mammadova agreed that the recent elections showed a deep defeat of the coalition of radical conservatives led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In general, N. A. Filin's speech clarifies some aspects of modern Iranian political reality.

A. N. CHEPELEV

* * *

On February 19, 2007, a meeting of the Iranian seminar was held in the Iran branch of the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where Dr. Hassan Rahimpour, Professor of the University of Tehran, member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, delivered a report on "Shiite Iran and the Islamic World". The seminar was attended by M. Imanipour, M. Salam (both Cultural Representation at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Moscow), P. Goncharov (RIA - Novosti), V. I. Sazhin (Voice of Russia), and E. L. Zhigun (Institute of the Middle East), N. A. Filin (RSUH), and others.

In her opening speech, the chair of the seminar, N. M. Mammadova, outlined the range of questions that interested the audience. Here are some of them: "What is the difference between the Iranian state and other Islamic states? What is the difference between the situation in Iran and the situation in other countries of the world, and in particular in the Middle East? What is Iran's attitude to the events in Iraq? What is his attitude to the Shiite and Sunni communities in this country?". Dr. Rahimpour replied that he intended to cover the evolution of Shiite thought and the history of Shiism in his speech. Was re-

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It is expected that he will first speak on the topic that he has prepared, and then answer questions on modernity. The meeting was supposed to be held in the form of a free discussion. But the participants could not keep up with this format, as Hassan Rahimpour's speech was often interrupted by questions and comments.

The first thing that Rakhimpour noticed was the difference in the understanding of the term "Oriental studies" in Iran from the meaning of this word in Russia and in the Western world. In his opinion, in Iran, the science of "Oriental studies" means an objective study of the history and religion of Eastern countries, and in the West and partly in Russia, this science is subject to the political orders of the ruling regimes. The speaker then turned to the issues of Islamic political philosophy and the history of Shiism. The main leitmotif of this part of his speech was that he did not see a big difference between the political views of Shiism and Sunnism, since both main branches of Islam lead to spirituality and justice, and all the differences are not fundamental. Disputes are also going on about the content and principles of such concepts as "imamate", "caliphate", "absence", "taqiyyah" (concealment of one's beliefs) and " velayat-e faqih "(rule of a just faqih).

From the very beginning of Hassan Rahimpour's presentation, there was a discrepancy between the goals and objectives of his report and the expectations of the workshop participants. The audience was impressed by the demagogic nature of the speakers ' presentation of their positions.

Thus, V. I. Sazhin asked for a more specific answer to the question about the meaning of the word "justice", which was repeatedly uttered by the speaker. V. I. Sazhin was also interested in the understanding of this term by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. According to Rahimpour, "justice" is understood differently by different people and is used for selfish purposes by both imperialists and terrorists. He divided the meaning of the word "justice" in Islam into three levels: ontological (justice comes from God, not oppression), individual (whether the actions or deeds of an individual are just or not). and social (mutual aid).

P. Goncharov was interested in how other Muslim countries perceive today's Iran and how Iranian religious philosophy is perceived in the Muslim world. N. Mammadova asked how Iranian religious principles are perceived by Shiite and Sunni communities outside of Iran.

To these questions, Rahimpour also did not give an exact answer, launching into arguments about the main principles of Iranian political philosophy - "prophecy", "imamate" and "velayat". Iran, he noted, "does not ask other Muslims and the rest of the world to obey these principles, "and that"Iran adheres to the point of view that citizens of all countries should enjoy the same benefits and have the same access to these benefits." Regarding Shiite and Sunni communities, the speaker stated that Shiites, being a religious minority in almost all Muslim countries, live in peace and harmony with Sunnis, which is confirmed by their peaceful coexistence in Iraq before the arrival of the Americans in 2003.

This statement was objected to by those present. MS Kameneva (IB RAS) asked: "If there were no contradictions in Iraq, why didn't the Sunnis welcome the Americans and the Shiites welcome them?" According to Rahimpour, the Shiites welcomed the Americans not because they were against the Sunnis, but because they opposed Saddam Hussein, who headed the ruling non-religious Baath party. Rahimpour explained that there are contradictions in fiqh (jurisprudence) and Kalam (scholasticism), as well as between Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox. But the existing differences, in his opinion, should not lead to collisions. And there have never been such clashes. Only America seeks to turn religious differences between Sunnis and Shiites into political conflicts.

This statement caused even greater objections from those present, in particular from I. E. Fedorova and L. M. Kulagina (IB RAS). The Shi'ite ulama, Rahimpour replied, do not consider Sunnis to be Gentiles, and the absolute majority of Sunnis do not consider Shi'ites to be Gentiles either. All disagreements, in his opinion, are initiated by the United States and Israel. Not satisfied with the answer, B. N. Gashev (IB RAS) asked about the constant explosions in Iraq (directed against Shiites or Sunnis?) and about the role of Iran in the events in this country. Without answering a question about the bombings, Rahimpour said that Iran's role in Iraq is quite large, as Iran and Iraq have a very long common history.

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Expressing regret that the speaker did not answer most of the questions raised, N. M. Mammadova asked him another one: as the head of the Iranian state (velayat-e faqih or rahbar) Ayatollah Khamenei exercises his rule and how is it treated in Shiite communities in other Muslim countries? According to Rahimpour, the head of the Iranian state rules in accordance with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran and religious tradition. According to the principles of Shiism, it can make two types of decisions-individual verdicts (related to the field of worship) and verdicts about the Iranian authorities. He shares the right to individual verdicts with other recognized Mujtahids. Any Shia can submit to the learned Ulama who is recognized as more qualified. No one forces anyone to follow this or that faqih. In some cases, when a country faces a crisis issue that is not resolved by ordinary legal methods, the intervention of velayat-e fakiha is required. In all other cases, the duties of the rakhbar are prescribed in the Constitution.

To the question of A. S. Fedorova: "Do Shiites outside Iran recognize the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei?" Rahimpour replied that Shia faqihs are governed by the law that no one should explicitly show their dissent. Therefore, there is no disagreement about leadership in Shiism. Any Shia can choose their own leader. Shiites in other Islamic states have their own leaders, who are recognized by Ayatollah Khamenei and who, in turn, recognize the Iranian Rahbar as their equal. When asked by R. R. Sikoev (Institute of Islamic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences) whether there are differences between Shiite Ulama on the principle of "velayat-e faqih", Rahimpour noted that such differences exist, but they are debatable, not conflicting. P. Goncharov was interested in how popular Iran's religious ideas are in other Muslim countries. Rahimpour noted that the Islamic world supports Iran rather than treats it negatively.

At the end of the seminar, N. A. Filin (RSUH) asked a question related to the internal political situation in Iran: why did the representative of ultra-radical forces, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, win the presidential election in 2005 by a large margin, but in December 2006 his coalition, breaking away from the conservative wing, completely lost in the municipal elections? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rahimpour said, represents the executive branch and has nothing to do with the last election.

In general, despite the fact that the speaker did not answer most of the questions of those present and his answers were sometimes vague and rather controversial, it should be noted that this meeting was useful, as it clarified some aspects of understanding the Shiite doctrine and demonstrated the mood of a certain part of the Iranian scientific community.

A. N. CHEPELEV

* * *

On April 9, 2007, the Kurdish Studies and Regional Issues Section of the Middle East Division held a round table on "The Kurdish problem and Political Transformation in West Asia". It was attended by employees of the sector and department, scientists from the Institute of the Middle East, MGIMO(U) Russian Foreign Ministry, official representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of Iraq Shorsh Said, as well as representatives of the Kurdish diaspora in Moscow.

Shorsh Said informed the audience about new trends in the political and economic development of Iraqi Kurdistan. The current Sunni-Shiite confrontation in Iraq, he noted, is already being called a civil war. In these difficult circumstances, Iraqi Kurds are seeking to strengthen the economic position of the Kurdish Autonomous Region (KAR), which is largely facilitated by the recently adopted oil and gas law in Iraq, according to which regions can sign contracts with foreign campaigns. However, a special government commission headed by the Prime Minister is responsible for signing all economic contracts. Although there are no oil and gas processing plants in KAR, there is a Norwegian campaign that processes 7,000 tons of oil and gas. barrels of oil per day. And these volumes are planned to be increased. The CAR's budget is $ 40 billion, since its revenues consist only of the amounts received from the sale of oil.

Shorsh Said paid great attention to the problem of Kirkuk (the inclusion of this province in the QAR). A referendum on this issue is scheduled for December 2007. In connection with the Kurds ' claims to Kirkuk, the Arabs who were resettled there while S. Hussein was still in power must leave it. In this regard, the Government decided to pay the Arabs who were resettled under the regime of S. Hussein with

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south, monetary compensation and allotment of a plot of land to each family in the event of their return to their ancestral lands. However, this problem has many aspects. The question of whether Kirkuk will become part of the QAR or remain a separate province of Iraq has not been resolved; the issue of holding a referendum is also acute due to the aggravation of Turkey's relations with the Iraqi Kurds. However, the Kurds are resisting it. Thus, President Karzai Barzani (KDP) strongly condemned Turkey's attempts to interfere in the settlement of the Kirkuk issue. Meanwhile, the Kurds are determined to hold the referendum on time. In this regard, a government commission was established in Baghdad to prepare for the referendum. At the same time, Shorsh Said did not rule out the possibility that the referendum will still be postponed. He also touched upon the issue of political unification of the KDP and PUK.

G. I. Starchenkov continued the topic of economic development of Iraqi Kurdistan. He noted that there have been no major changes at the macroeconomic level recently, but there have been some changes at the microeconomic level. Oil production is developing very rapidly, and foreign firms are operating successfully. However, not all Iraqis share the view that oil revenues should remain in the Kurdish provinces. Some argue for the distribution of revenue across all provinces, since oil is a national asset. The speaker described the prospects for the development of not only the oil production industry, but also the oil refining industry in connection with the plans to build two oil refineries in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, which will be built by South Korean firms. At the same time, Turkish firms express great interest in the construction of infrastructure, and entrepreneurs are willing to develop trade relations with Russia.

As noted by N. Z. Mosaki, many observers, influenced by the propaganda of the authorities of Southern Kurdistan, significantly exaggerate the scale of the economic processes taking place there. Thus, there is much talk about the presence of significant oil reserves in the Kurdistan region and the work of the Norwegian oil company DNO in the province of Dohuk under a production sharing agreement (PSA). However, it went unnoticed by almost everyone that at the end of last year, the Kurdistan Regional Government increased the already high share of DNO in the PSA from 40% to 55%, which is precisely due to the lack of large deposits in the areas where DNO was drilling. In addition, there are no manufacturing enterprises in the Kurdistan region, and the only type of economic activity is construction (with mostly Turkish companies receiving contracts) and trade. Regional budget revenues are generated mainly through transfers from the Iraqi budget.

K. Vertyaev noted that there are contradictions in the solution of the Kurdish problem among the political and military circles of Turkey. Thus, M. Erdogan, who is supported by 50 to 60% of the country's population, supports softening the position of official Ankara on the Kurdish problem, and declares his intention to solve it peacefully. The Turkish military opposes this decision, moreover, they are in favor of destroying the Kurdistan Workers ' Party (PKK). In the PKK itself, there is obviously an internal party struggle. Officially, this party refuses to conduct armed operations and declares its desire to transfer its activities to a political channel. However, there are groups in Eastern Anatolia that discredit the PKK. Thus, the "Free Falcons" -a radical nationalist group has nothing in common with the PKK. However, some media mistakenly classify it as a "subsidiary" group of the PKK.

O. I. Zhigalina believes that the success of the Iraqi Kurds in the political and economic sphere does not mean either a solution to the Kurdish problem in Iraq, or a reliable support of the Americans for the Kurds. Although the presence of the US army in Iraq guarantees the stability of the country, at the same time it deters the Kurds in their quest for independence. The very fact of the existence of the KAR leads to an aggravation of the Kurdish problem in Iran, Turkey and Syria. While the movement of Iranian Kurds has strong unifying tendencies with the Kurds of Iraq, Turkish and Syrian Kurds are more focused on solving the Kurdish problem within their own countries. And the regimes of the above-mentioned countries are pursuing a consolidated policy that prevents the development of a situation in the region that would lead any part of ethical Kurdistan to independence.

S. B. Druzhilovsky touched upon the role of the Islamic factor in solving the Kurdish problem, noting that some religious groups that support the Kurds in Iraq, at the same time find consensus with their political opponents. Despite the difficulties

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For the development of the Kurdish movement in Iraq, the Kurds must seek and find reliable allies. It is necessary to help the Kurds to support the growth of what all nationalities have the right to, to support the legal solution of the Kurdish issue and the establishment of administrative and cultural autonomy.

Then there was a lively discussion, which was attended by all the participants of the round table. Among the issues discussed were: the ratio of the number of Kurds and Turkomans in the Kirkuk area, the ways of transporting Kurdish oil, the degree of Israel's influence on the development of the region, the role of the Iranian-American crisis on the situation in Kurdistan, etc. The participants of the round table agreed that despite the fact that the role of the Russian Federation in West Asia has significantly decreased for objective reasons, the events of recent years show Moscow's focus on more active participation in solving Middle Eastern problems, including, possibly, the Kurdish problem.

O. I. ZHIGALINA

INSTITUTE OF AFRICA, RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

On March 6, 2007, the Institute held a meeting of the Academic Council dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence, which, in addition to the Institute's staff, was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Ghana to the Russian Federation Edward A. Montei, ambassadors of other African countries, Russian Foreign Ministry officials, and veterans of the diplomatic service who worked in Ghana.

The meeting was opened by the Deputy Director of the Institute of Africa, V. T. Shubin, who emphasized the special importance of Ghana as the country from which the decolonization of Africa began. Since the first days of Ghana's independent development, relations between it and our State have been developing very successfully. The Soviet Union was one of the first countries to recognize sovereign Ghana and provide it with comprehensive assistance, including training qualified specialists. Many of them later made a significant contribution to the development of various sectors of the Ghanaian economy and the creation of its armed forces.

One of the leading Russian researchers of this country, P. I. Kupriyanov (Institute of Africa), made a report "Ghana: 50 years on the path of independence". Noting the huge role that Ghana played in the struggle of the whole of Africa against colonialism, he drew special attention to the personality of the first President of the republic, Kwame Nkrumah, who initiated a number of important steps that contributed to the rise of the national liberation movement on the continent and the development of friendly relations between the USSR and Ghana.

Touching upon the current socio-economic and political situation of the country, P. Kupriyanov noted that this republic managed not only to make a peaceful transition from a military regime to a civilian one, but also to make significant progress on the path of democratization of public life and market reforms. The country has a two-party system that ensures relative stability of the domestic political situation. Economic development is characterized by sustainability. In 2006, GDP growth was 6%, while inflation dropped to 10%. According to the World Bank, Ghana is one of the most attractive countries not only in Africa, but also in the world in terms of investment climate and development rates. The country has good achievements in the social sphere, in agriculture, which remains one of the pillars of the Ghanaian economy. At the same time, the Government clearly sees a variety of unresolved problems and makes efforts to solve them. This is the goal of the long-term "Plan for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction" adopted in 2002, one of the main objectives of which is to achieve the UN goal of reducing extreme poverty by half by 2015.

In his response, E. A. Montey briefly covered the history of Ghana-from the time of the conquest of the coastal part of the Gulf of Guinea by Europeans in the 15th century to the present day. He noted that after the declaration of political independence on March 6, 1957, the country experienced six military coups, but managed to embark on a path of progressive peaceful development and achieve some economic progress. In 2006, despite the existing difficulties (lack of its own energy resources, weak infrastructure, etc.), Ghana managed to become one of the leaders in Tropical Africa with a good prospect of becoming a country with a medium level of development in the next decade. In his foreign policy, the Ambassador stressed,

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Ghana adheres primarily to the principle of peaceful coexistence. Thanks to the resolution adopted by the Government of the country on peaceful coexistence with neighboring countries, a number of armed conflicts were avoided. Ghana pursues an active policy in various international organizations: the Non-Aligned Movement, the UN, advocating for its reform, NEPAD, ECOWAS, the African Union, whose President, J. P. Morgan, was elected chairman in the year of the "golden jubilee" of Ghana. Kufuor.

Speaking about the Russian-Ghanaian relations, E. A. Montey noted their friendly and constructive character for half a century. Ghana was the first of the liberated African countries to establish diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. Especially close ties existed between our states during the reign of K. Nkrumah, during which Ghana adhered to the course of a socialist orientation. In the 1960s and 1970s, hundreds of Ghanaian students studied in the USSR, while a large number of Soviet specialists worked on the construction of a number of important economic facilities in Ghana. In the 1990s, cooperation almost came to naught.

All the speakers at the meeting, however, stressed the existence of a real potential for developing Russian-Ghanaian relations, taking into account the previously established base, the implementation of market reforms in both countries, the favorable investment climate and low level of political risks in Ghana, and the growing interest of Russian business in Africa., construction of infrastructure facilities, education.

Oleg Vlasov, Senior Adviser to the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed hope for the expansion of Russian-Ghanaian cooperation in the context of the intensification of the African direction of Russia's foreign policy in recent years. He spoke about Russia's participation in the implementation of the G8 plan for Africa, in the implementation of UN programs for the development of Africa, and in the implementation of UN peacekeeping operations on the African continent.

Former Soviet Ambassador to Ghana P. D. Pavlov, as well as employees of the Institute of Africa V. T. Solodovnikov and B. G. Petru k shared their memories of their stay in Ghana. Guinea's Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Amara Bangura, emphasized the role of Ghana and its first President, K. Nkrumah, in the complete liberation of Africa from colonial dependence. A sense of solemnity was given to the meeting by the fact that Russia was represented at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence by the Director of the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Relations with African leaders, A.M. Vasiliev. Kufuor received a welcome message from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

M. N. AMVROSOVA

RUSSIAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOR THE HUMANITIES

On February 12-13, 2007, the 9th annual Conference "History and Culture of Japan"was held here. I. S. Smirnov, Director of the Institute of Oriental Cultures and Antiquity, and A. M. Meshcheryakov, Director of the Japan Center Asazuma, organizer of the conference, addressed the participants and guests of the conference with welcoming words.

The conference was attended by scientists from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Minsk, Kharkiv, New York, as well as postgraduates and students, mainly representing the Department of Japanese History and Culture of ISAA at Moscow State University. A total of 26 reports on a wide range of issues were listened to. As at previous conferences, the most representative was a block of reports on the history of ancient Japan and the Heian period (794-1185).

M. V. Grachev (ISAA) in his report "The practice of punishing officials in the Taihore Code and its evolution in the VIII-XII centuries "analyzed the functioning of the system of punishing senior officials, revealing discrepancies between real practice and the requirements of legislative codes. He also noted the differences between the Japanese penal system and its Chinese counterparts.

The report of E. K. Simonova-Gudzenko (ISAA) was devoted to clarifying the main stages of sacralization of space on the example of Shinto temples from antiquity to the Meiji era (1868-1911) inclusive, the report of A. S. Bachurin (ISAA) - "unusual phenomena", divination and prohibitions of "monoimi" in the Heian period. Graduate student O. T. Vityazeva (ISAA) proanali-

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She analyzed the peculiarities of perception of old age and aging among the Heian aristocracy.

ISAA students from the Department of History and Culture of Japan demonstrated the ability to apply quantitative methods when working with sources. A. Kurmanova and V. Bazarova presented in a joint report preliminary data of quantitative analysis of objects mentioned in the geographical descriptions of the provinces "Fudoki" (VIII century). A. Hariga introduced the audience to the data of quantitative analysis of one of the first guides to Kyoto - "Miyako meisho: jue" (1780).

Two reports were devoted to Buddhist topics. N. N. Trubnikova (zh. Voprosy Filosofii) analyzed the text " Interpretation of the meaning of the Three Sutras "("Sange Gise"), attributed to Prince Shotoku-taishi (577-622), but qualified by modern researchers as having been created not earlier than the eighth century and, possibly, not in Japan, but in China. N. N. Trubnikova, in particular, noted the lack of exact parallels to this text in China. Yu. V. Minakova (Russian State Library) spoke about the discovery of satori by the famous poet, calligrapher, and Zen monk Ryokan (1758-1831).

Two reports were devoted to the Orthodox Mission in Japan. A. A. Gavrikov (Irkutsk State Pedagogical University). N. A. Sukhanova (MSU) highlighted the main stages on the way to the autonomy of the Japanese Orthodox Church, including little-known pages of the history of Orthodoxy in Japan.

The section on art and architecture was presented by four papers: K. V. Kochetova (MSU) - on the image of a monk of the late 12th - early 13th centuries, E. S. Steiner (New York University) - on the collection of Japanese prints of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, A. A. Zhuravleva (postgraduate student of the State Institute of Art Studies Yaga Kazuo (1918-1979), one of the greatest Japanese masters of ceramics of the XX century, and A.V. Guseva (Research Institute for the Theory of Architecture and Urban Planning) - on the features of continuity in the architecture of modern private houses of the Edo period (1603-1867). N. F. Golubinskaya (Moscow Conservatory) not only did she tell me about one of the" secret " (hikeku) koto plays of the late 17th century (only the highest-ranking masters could perform them), but she also performed it.

Various aspects of the dramatic conflicts in the development of Japanese society on the eve and in the first years after the Meiji Restoration, when the fusion of old Japanese and new European traditions was not yet established, were presented in sharp contrasts in two reports. Klimov (St. Petersburg State University)- the first Japanese Embassy in Russia in 1862, little studied in Russian historiography. K. A. Leshchenko (ISAA graduate student) considered the topic of public safety in the Japanese capital before and after the Meiji restoration, comparing the impressions of V. Krestovsky, who visited Japan in August 1880-May 1881., and the British diplomat A. Olok, who lived in Japan in 1859-1861.

The report of A. N. Meshcheryakov (RSUH) was devoted to the study of how ethnology was used as a means of national self-identification in the period after the Second World War, and for the first time the true Japanese was sought not in the state, but in folk culture. O. L. Artemenko (Belarusian, State University) analyzed the main stages of the formation of the concept of "Japanese culture".health", as well as relevant terminology in Japan from IX to XXI centuries.

The literary block consisted of three reports: E. M. Dyakonova (RSUH) spoke about the "color" ("iro") M. V. Toropygin (IB RAS) analyzed the main characteristics of other worlds on the example of the Muromachi era (1392-1598) short story "The Sky of Brahma" by Yu. V. Osadchaya (Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) considered the theoretical section of the literary treatise of the Japanese writer, playwright, critic Tsubouchi See (1859-1935).

Reports by A. Yu. Akulova (Russian Christian Humanitarian) akad.) and E. S. Baksheeva (Russian Institute of Cultural Studies) were devoted, respectively, to the current state of Ainu culture and the study of cults and beliefs in Okinawa. Two reports dealt with the problems of the recent history of Japan. P. A. Kalmychek (ISAA) analyzed the evolution of the domestic political situation in Japan in the 1990s. In the report of E. A. Shapovalov (Kharkiv National University). un-t) presents the views of Taro Aso, who became Japan's Foreign Minister in October 2005, on the further development of Russian-Japanese relations, in particular on ways to resolve the territorial issue.

In general, we should note the expansion of the topic due to the influx of new researchers. The conference provided an insight into the state of Japanese studies in Russia and partly in the entire post-Soviet space.

E. B. SAKHAROVA

DAMASCUS

The Russian-Arab Dialogue Week was held on February 21-27, 2007 by the Russian Embassy in the Syrian Arab Republic, the Russian Center for Science and Culture, Damascus University, and the Syrian Government with the participation of representatives of the Russian-Arab Dialogue Research Center of the Institute of International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow State University Center for International Education. The purpose of the event is to activate relations between the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic in the context of the aggravation of the military-political situation in the Middle East, as stated by the Syrian Ambassador to the Russian Federation Hassan Rishe and confirmed in Damascus by the Russian Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic Sergey Kirpichenko.

On February 21, a round table was held at the Center for Strategic Studies of Damascus University, which was attended by about 20 Syrian scientists, employees of the Russian Embassy and a delegation from Moscow. The organizers discussed the topic of the discussion "Relations between Syria and Russia in the XXI century and prospects for their development in the context of globalization and aggressive actions of the United States in the Middle East." The attention of the Syrian participants was focused on the following aspects: the coexistence, not the confrontation of civilizations; the return to the "cold war", the" double standards " of the West in relation to the rest of the world; the analysis of the actions of the United States and Russia in the Middle East; the attempts of the West to destroy the Arab world and Russia from within; the positive role of Moscow support for Vladimir Putin's arguments expressed to the West in Munich and during his visits to the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf in February of this year, etc. The Russian delegation was asked questions related to international issues and specific relations between Russia and Syria in the face of ongoing threats from the United States. The main motive of the Russian participants ' responses was focused on the idea of jointly forming a new alternative-cultural dialogue, or the idea of co-existence of civilizations, and the rejection of force as a method of resolving disputed international and ethno-confessional relations.
At the same time, the Russian Language Day was held at the Russian Center for Science and Culture. The event was attended by Syrians, graduates of Soviet and Russian higher scientific and educational institutions (there are about 35 thousand people in Syria, united in a public association), as well as Russian citizens living in the country (in Damascus alone there are more than 20 thousand people). Against the background of art exhibitions, sales of Russian-language publications, music and dance performances, and demonstrations of our films, we expressed our wishes to continue actively supporting the study of the Russian language in Syria and to resist the Russophobia imposed by the West.

On February 22, at the suggestion of the Syrian side, official negotiations and working meetings of mutual interest began. Every day, local newspapers wrote about the delegation's stay, pictures and TV stories were published.

At the Translation and Publication Center, which is part of the Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization of the League of Arab States (ALECSO), with which the Institute of International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in 2003, Director Adel Nofal informed about the activities of his institution, which has existed since 1990. The main directions of its work are: development of higher education in the Arab world-publishing textbooks of local scientists in the main areas of study; translations from foreign languages into Arabic of the most significant works of foreign authors; organization of conferences; publication of popular manuals for students, etc. In the period 1991-2004. The Center has published 96 books on various aspects of science and education and 27 volumes of textbooks, the titles of which can be found on the Center's website.

Adel Nofal invited Russian scientific educational institutions to cooperate. Contracts for the publication of books by Russian scientists translated into Arabic and Arabic books translated into Russian (or other foreign languages) can be signed either through the management of ALECSO, which is headquartered in Tunis (General Director Dr. Monji Busnina), or directly with its Damascus publishing center ASATAR (Arab Center for Arabization, Translation, Authorship and Publication). The cost of publishing books, if the cooperation protocols are signed, is proposed to be divided in equal shares, while respecting the rights of publishers and authors. Publication dates and print runs are determined by agreement of the parties*.

* Publisher's address and phone numbers: Syria, Damascus, AL-Afif S + r / Jadet Abedrabbo, Box 3752 Tel. +963 11 3334876; Fax +963 11 3334876: E-mail: acat ap@net.sy; web-site: www.acatap.org

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On February 22, a meeting was held with the Rector of the University of Damascus, Wa'il Moualla, at
which was attended by faculty leaders and the Director of International and Cultural Relations of the University of Damascus, Fadi al-Shalabi. Vail Moualla said that at the university, which has existed for 100 years, 28% of teachers ( 500 people) are graduates of Soviet and Russian universities (in second place - graduates of French universities). Currently, the university has 16 faculties, 5 higher institutes, and 6 branches in other cities. In total-110 thousand students. The majority of foreign students are Chinese and Indian. Only a few students come from Russia. The University carries out scientific cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences (the contract expires on March 27, 2008) and with the Lomonosov Moscow State University (the contract expired on October 26, 2005).

The Rector noted that in the last two or three years the validity of these documents has been frozen and scientific exchanges have almost stopped. Wa'il Mualla proposed to resume relations on a new basis, namely, by signing framework documents on scientific cooperation and exchange not with the entire university, whose structure has become cumbersome, but with the Center for Strategic Studies established in 1995 at the university, which is entrusted with organizing and conducting scientific relations and joint research with scientific organizations abroad. This Center (The Damascus University Center for Strategic Studies and Research (CSSR)) has held 11 international symposia over the past decade, has protocols on cooperation with 10 foreign research centers, hosted delegations from Great Britain, Turkey, Denmark, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, the United States, South Africa, and only in February 2007. Russian scientists went to Syria. The Rector recommended holding a separate meeting with the Director of CSSR Madian Ali and preparing a joint draft of the cooperation agreement, including the exchange of delegations, students, teachers, contacts of faculties, creation of scientific programs and projects, joint scientific guidance of dissertants in order to successfully prepare and obtain a doctorate or master's degree in a shorter time. The Russian delegation proposed to create a joint academic council to select the most important monographs for translation into Arabic (Russian) and Russian (Syrian); to form a joint team of authors to write the "History of Syria XX century" and publish the work in Russian and Arabic.

On February 25, the Russian delegation was received by First Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad, who expressed satisfaction with the Russian-Syrian Dialogue week. The political decision to restore the former relations with Russia, he said, was made following the results of last year's visit to Moscow by President Bashar al-Assad, who was convinced of Russia's reliability as a partner and as an ally of Syria in the Middle East. The diplomat emphasized the scientific and cultural component of cooperation between the two countries, which "can have a very positive impact on the entire spectrum of relations between Russia and Syria."

On the same day, a meeting was held with Syrian Vice-President Najah Attar, who until 2006 held the post of Minister of Culture for 25 years, and was awarded the Order of Friendship for her contribution to the development of relations with the USSR and Russia. She expressed the hope that the Russian-Syrian Dialogue week held in Damascus gives young Syrians an opportunity to appreciate the best that friendship with our country has given Syria in the past and how important it is in the new realities of the 21st century.

On February 26, meetings were held with a group of senior officials of the Ministry of Higher Education headed by Minister Giyas Barakyat. In particular, specific programs of cooperation in the field of education were considered.

Bouteina Shaaban, a well-known Syrian writer and social activist, at a meeting with scientists from Russia, cited data from a survey of the Syrian population regarding US policy: more than 80% condemn Washington's policy in Syria, while 87% of the country's population supports the revival of former relations with Russia. "The political decision to ally with Russia made by our leadership is the opinion of the majority of Syrians, as well as thousands of Russian citizens living in Syria," she said.

On February 24-26, at the Center for Strategic Studies of the University of Damascus, meetings were held with Madian Ali, Director of the Center, and his colleagues, with whom they discussed a standard draft Protocol on scientific cooperation between the Russian scientific center " Russian-Arab Dialogue "(head of the center-A. Z. Egorin) and CSSR. Center for Strategic Studies, I publish-

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The leading quarterly journal "Strategic Studies" (since 2000) and the monthly collections "Strategic Issues"(since 2002) invite Russian scientists to cooperate. The publication of their materials on political, economic, social, and cultural issues of the world, region, and individual countries is guaranteed*.

The final meeting was with Faisal al-Kalsum, former director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Damascus, appointed Governor of Deraa province in 2006, the main initiator and organizer of restoring scientific and cultural ties with Russia and holding a week of "Russian-Syrian Dialogue"in Damascus. Faisal al-Kalsum expressed satisfaction with the results of the dialogue, which, in his opinion, was held at a high level, and suggested organizing cooperation between the regions of Russia and the governorates of Syria (there are 15 of them), where thousands of Syrians who studied in Russia live.

In general, in our opinion, the holding of the Russian-Syrian Dialogue week in Damascus has become an important and new stage in the development of relations between the Russian Federation and Syria.

A. Z. YEGORIN

* Syrian Arab Republic, University of Damascus, Center for Strategic Studies and Research: Phone: 00963 11 2129818 00963 11 2215605; Fax: 00963 11 2232150; www.CSSR - Syria.org; E-mail: CSSR@ntt.org

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