The purpose of the project is:
- To examine the impact of Russia's policy on the transformation of the Syrian civil war and its spill-over into Iraq;
- To follow the trajectory of the Russian-Turkish strategic partnership insofar as it is relevant for the policy-making towards the Midlle East;
- To look into the possible developments in the Russian-Iranian relations, particularly in the context of the six-party talks;
- To investigate the influence of Russia's energy-related interests on the fluctuations of its political course in the Middle East.