Bogdanov’s plan to redefine Middle East power
By Albert Naryshkin
Chairman of Middle East Club at MGIMO
Mikhail Leonidovich Bogdanov, who has over fifty years of diplomatic experience in the Middle Eastern direction, belongs to the ranks of outstanding Soviet and Russian diplomats and enjoys unwavering authority among his colleagues and associates. The role of politician Bogdanov in strengthening Russian influence in the Middle East and protecting Russia's foreign policy interests is indisputable.
Under the highly professional guidance of Mikhail Leonidovich Bogdanov, the contours of modern Russian-Arab and Russian-African friendship have been formed, driven by a common aspiration to build a polycentric world order based on the principles of equality and mutual respect. Key powers in Africa and the Middle East, such as Ethiopia, Egypt, the UAE, and Iran, have joined BRICS, which, in turn, promotes the strengthening of multipolarity and inclusivity in global politics and economics and advocates for the dismantling of American hegemony.
During Mikhail Bogdanov's tenure as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Representative of the President of Russia for the Middle East and African countries, the Arab world, with Russia's support, became a new center of influence and decision-making on the global stage. Mikhail Leonidovich, more than anyone else, keenly feels the danger of nuclear escalation in the Middle East. He has repeatedly condemned Israel's unlawful aggression against Iran. Ambassador Bogdanov has often acted as an organizer of negotiations between the authorities of Turkey and Syria to develop a "roadmap" for the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey to their homeland, including the development of guarantees for their safety and social protection.
Mikhail Bogdanov also plays a significant role in Russia's cultural diplomacy in the Middle East and Africa. As the Deputy Chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, one of the oldest foundational structures facilitating humanitarian cooperation between Russia and the peoples of the Middle East, Mr. Bogdanov has contributed to addressing humanitarian issues in Syria, organized Orthodox pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and built schools for the local population. Mikhail Bogdanov has made an invaluable contribution to the preservation of Orthodoxy in the Middle East.
The country has highly appreciated Bogdanov's merits, awarding him the Orders of Friendship, Honor, Alexander Nevsky, and for Merit to the Fatherland of the 3rd and 4th classes.
The conclusion of Bogdanov's long-standing activity as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia in no way signifies the end of his fruitful and multifaceted work in the interests of the Russian Federation and its people.