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Ali Aslan is a seasoned television presenter and journalist. He has worked for global news networks such as CNN, ABC News, Channel News Asia and Deutsche Welle TV, where he hosted the international talk show “Quadriga“. In addition to his distinguished career in journalism, Aslan has also served as a Policy and Media Advisor to the German government, including the Foreign Office. Aslan has been named a Young Leader by the American Council on Germany, the BMW Foundation, the German Marshall Fund, the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Munich Security Conference, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Atlantik-Bruecke. He is the first German recipient of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations International Fellowship and an alumnus of the Koerber Network Foreign Policy. Aslan holds an M.A. in Journalism and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. He received his B.A. in International Politics from Georgetown University.

In 1985-1991, Andrey Bystritskiy was engaged in research as a Senior Fellow at the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. He has been in the media industry since 1991, starting as the Head of the Audience Research Department of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company (RTR), author and host of radio and television broadcasts. In 1993-1996, Andrey Bystritskiy headed sociological research at the Company. From 1996 to 1997, he was in charge of the "Society" Department at the Itogi (Russian Newsweek) magazine. In 1997-1998, Andrey Bystritskiy was Deputy Director General for Information at TV Tsentr. Between 1998 and 1999, he was the Producer of the Russian news service on BBC. In 1999, he joined the Organizing Committee of the Unofficial Moscow Festival as one of its Co-Chairs, he was also a member of the Editorial Board of the Moscow Alternative newspaper and Chairman of the Mayak State Radio Broadcasting Company (main information radio in Russia). In 2000, Bystritskiy became the Director General of the Vesti State Television Company (an entity of RTR). From 2000 to 2008, he was Deputy Director General of RTR and the Director of the Department of Information Programmes of the Russia TV. In 2000-2013 Bystritskiy was a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of international broadcasting company Euronews. Between 2005 and 2007, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Apologia monthly magazine. From 2008 to 2014, he was the Chairman of the Voice of Russia State Radio Company (Russian international broadcaster in 44 languages). Andrey Bystritskiy has been at the National Research University – Higher School of Economics since 2001, as a Dean of the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design since 2014. Since 2008, he has been the head of the Council of the Heads of Government and Public Television and Radio Organizations of CIS Countries. Since 2014, Bystritskiy has been the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Chairman of the Public Supervisory Council of the Russian Ministry of Communications. Andrey Bystritskiy is a Professor and PhD (Pedagogics, 1989). He is a member of the Union of Writers. In June 2007, he received the Order of Honour. Andrey Bystritskiy is the author of books, including such works as Youth Subcultures and Russia's Intelligentsia During the Demise of the Soviet System (1991), and numerous publications in newspapers and magazines.

Former student at the French Institute of Political studies known as “SciencesPo” and at the National School of public administration called ENA, Hubert Védrine served successively as a diplomatic advisor, spokesman and Secretary-General (chief of staff) under the presidency of François Mitterrand, from 1981 to 1995. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of the Prime Minister Lionel Jospin under the presidency of Jacques Chirac, from 1997 to 2002. In January 2003, Hubert Védrine founded “HUBERT VEDRINE CONSEIL”, a public consulting firm specializing in foreign, economic and geopolitical affairs. He has chaired the François Mitterrand Institute since 2003. Hubert Védrine has been appointed as an independent director of LVMH since 2004. He was chosen by Kofi Anan to be one the twenty international members of the High Level Group of the “Alliance of Civilizations” in 2005 and 2006.

He was educated at the universities of Kaliningrad, Fairfield, Göttingen, Grenoble and Moscow. He earned a Ph.D. in economy from Pierre Mendes-France University (Grenoble II) and Dr. hab. in economy from the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Moscow. After several years of experience in applied economy research projects at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), the Catholic University of Leuven and the University of Jena he proceeded to working with the EDB, being responsible for macro- and microeconomic analysis in particular, as well as the development bank's research program. Dr. Vinokurov is the founding director of the EDB Centre for Integration Studies since 2011. The Centre specializes in quantitative research and carries out activities in the following fields: economic integration in the Eurasian Economic Union, economic modeling, mutual investment and corporate integration, trade economics, fiscal and monetary issues, cooperation in the market for financial services, and systematic research of Eurasian integration. Over the last five years, the Centre realized 50+ projects and published 37 reports. The Centre works extensively for the national ministries of the EDB member states, presidential administrations and the Eurasian Economic Commission.

In July 2015, became Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of OMV AG. October 2009 to June 2015: head of Wintershall Holding GmbH in Kassel. Since March 2012: President of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce. After graduating from the Chemistry Department of Gottingen University and defended his thesis, Reiner first tackled chemical research at BASF in Ludwigshafen. From 1987 to 1994, he held various positions and was then appointed Head of Research Planning and Controlling at BASF’s Main Laboratory. Later, Mr. Seele changed to Wintershall AG where, from 1996 to 2000, he worked first as Head of the Strategic Planning Office. In 2000, he was appointed a board member of Wingas in charges of sales. From 2002 to 2009, as Chairman of the Wingas Management Board, he often spoke to representatives of the general public, making the case specifically for the importance of cooperation with Russia and reliability of Europe’s gas supply. In addition, as a board member of Wintershall AG, Mr. Seele oversaw the Natural Gas Trading and, in October 2009, he stood at the helm of the company’s managing committee.

Born in 1950, Russian. 1972 - graduated from the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Has command of English, French and Sinhalese. Started his career in 1972 at the Soviet Embassy in Sri Lanka. 1976-1981 - worked in the Department of International Organizations of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1981-1988 - First Secretary, Counselor and Senior Counselor in the Permanent Representation of the USSR at the UN. 1988-1990 - Deputy Head of the Department of International Economic Relations of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1990-1992 - Director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organizations and Global Problems. 1992-1994 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. 1994-2004 - Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation at the United Nations. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation since 2004. Has the rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation. Decorated with government awards. Married, with one daughter.

He graduated from Voznesensky Leningrad Finance and Economics Institute and holds a PhD in Economics. Upon graduation, Alexey Miller was engineer-economist at the General planning division of Leningrad Civil Construction Research and Design Institute (LenNIIproekt under the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council). 1990 - Junior researcher, Leningrad Finance and Economics Institute; Section Head, Economic Reform Committee, Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council. 1991–1996 - Head of the Markets Monitoring Division, Foreign Economic Relations Directorate, External Relations Committee of St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office; Head of the Foreign Economic Relations Directorate; Deputy Chairman of the External Relations Committee. 1996–1999 - Director for Development and Investments, Sea Port of St. Petersburg. 1999–2000 - Director General of Baltiyskaya Truboprovodnaya Sistema (Baltic Pipeline System). 2000 - Deputy Energy Minister of the Russian Federation. Since 2001 - Chairman of the Management Committee, Gazprom. Since 2002 – Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors.