Thursday's session the Valdai Discussion Club meeting focused on whether Russia should search for closer ties with European or Asian countries, RIA Novosti reports.

The 7th Valdai Club Meeting, an expert forum for international specialists on Russia, headlined "Russia: History and Future Development," takes place between August 31 and September 7 onboard the Kronstadt cruise ship in northwestern Russia.

The discussion brought together prominent experts on Russia from 15 European countries, the United States and Asia, but they fail to come to a single opinion on whether Russia should choose Europe or Asia as its main partner. Some experts believe that Russia should preserve its unique role of a bridge between Europe and Asia.

The most important task for Russia in this context is to make the country attractive for its own people and domestic capital. Experts say that Russia's Soviet past remains a reason why other states, primarily its ex-Soviet neighbors, still treat it with caution.

The Russian News and Information Agency RIA Novosti, in association with The Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, the journals Russia Profile and Russia in Global Politics, and the newspaper The Moscow News, has hosted the Valdai International Discussion Club meeting every year since 2004.