Vladimir Putin Speaks at Valdai Club Session in Sochi

During the discussion sessions, participants will touch upon the issues of public perception of war and peace in such areas as international economic cooperation, religion and diplomatic relations between states.

"Of course, consideration of the global pattern of conflict cannot be carried out in isolation from what is happening today in the Middle East. A special session of the discussion will be devoted to developments in that region," the Kremlin press service said in a statement.

The Valdai Club, established in 2004, aims to promote dialogue between the Russian and the international intellectual elite, and to foster independent, unbiased scientific analysis of political, economic and social events in Russia and the rest of the world.